Real Madrid win UEFA Champions League

Real Madrid beat Juventus 4-1 to claim their 12th Champions League title on Saturday in Cardiff.

Real won the first five editions of the European Cup between 1956 and 1960 and now won their 15th final, claiming a record-extending 12th crown and for the honour of being the only team to defend the trophy in the Champions League era successfully.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal for the winners in the 20th minute.

In an exceptional career in which he keeps rewriting the record books, Ronaldo is the first player in the 25 seasons of the Champions League era to score in three finals.

Seven minutes later, Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic scored a sublime acrobatic volley tipped as one of the great goals in a Champions League final to end a pulsating first half level at 1-1.

In the second half, Madrid came back with a force to be reckoned with and quickly broke free from the deadlock with a goal from Carlos Casemiro in the 60th minute.

Ronaldo made it 3-1 four minutes later taking his career goal tally to 600 and his 2016/17 Champions League tally to 12.

It was all wrapped up in the 90th minute with a goal from substitute Marco Asensio who came on for Isco.

On one night in the Welsh capital, Juventus conceded more goals than it had on the journey to the final, having let in only three in the previous three games.

But Madrid's attacking brilliance proved just too hard for Juventus to contain as Zinedine Zidane won his second Champions League title in 18 months of top-flight management.

Until now, no team since AC Milan in 1989 and 1990, when the cup was only a knockout competition, had won back-to-back titles.