<p class="title">The Juventus stadium broke into applause and Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, once a player of extraordinary gifts himself, looked dumbstruck at the audacity of Cristiano Ronaldo's goal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Real were 1-0 ahead and struggling to keep the hosts at bay when Ronaldo, with his back to goal, launched himself into the air to meet Dani Carvajal's chipped cross with a bicycle kick -- known in Spanish-speaking countries as a "Chilean" -- that flew past dumbfounded Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The timing was perfect while the athleticism, worthy of a youngster more than a 33-year-old, ridiculed suggestions that the record-amassing Portugal forward is past his prime.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Actually, I need to say that Cristiano has also missed some chances this evening, at least two, but that's football" said perfectionist Zidane, who played for both clubs.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Which was better, that goal or my volley (for Real) in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen (in 2002)? Definitely mine," he joked, before paying tribute to Ronaldo.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He shows every time that he is a special player. He always wants to do great things in the Champions League and he never gets tired of doing it, that's his great quality."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Real captain Sergio Ramos said the applause from the Juve fans was "the prize of everyone giving him recognition for so many years at this level."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, on the other hand, wished his team had found Ronaldo on an off-night.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I can't fault the lads for anything, we bumped into an extraordinary team and probably the best player in the world," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"When you play against sides like this, you need a little bit of luck and, more than anything else, to meet Ronaldo on a bad night."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Buffon, the victim, was typically generous in his praise.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We saw what Ronaldo is and always has been - an extraordinary champion who, alongside (Barcelona's) Lionel Messi, is reaching the biggest heights," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"They should be compared to Diego Maradona and Pele for the way they ultimately are able to decide the matches and trophies won by their teams." </p>
<p class="title">The Juventus stadium broke into applause and Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, once a player of extraordinary gifts himself, looked dumbstruck at the audacity of Cristiano Ronaldo's goal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Real were 1-0 ahead and struggling to keep the hosts at bay when Ronaldo, with his back to goal, launched himself into the air to meet Dani Carvajal's chipped cross with a bicycle kick -- known in Spanish-speaking countries as a "Chilean" -- that flew past dumbfounded Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The timing was perfect while the athleticism, worthy of a youngster more than a 33-year-old, ridiculed suggestions that the record-amassing Portugal forward is past his prime.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Actually, I need to say that Cristiano has also missed some chances this evening, at least two, but that's football" said perfectionist Zidane, who played for both clubs.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Which was better, that goal or my volley (for Real) in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen (in 2002)? Definitely mine," he joked, before paying tribute to Ronaldo.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He shows every time that he is a special player. He always wants to do great things in the Champions League and he never gets tired of doing it, that's his great quality."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Real captain Sergio Ramos said the applause from the Juve fans was "the prize of everyone giving him recognition for so many years at this level."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, on the other hand, wished his team had found Ronaldo on an off-night.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I can't fault the lads for anything, we bumped into an extraordinary team and probably the best player in the world," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"When you play against sides like this, you need a little bit of luck and, more than anything else, to meet Ronaldo on a bad night."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Buffon, the victim, was typically generous in his praise.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We saw what Ronaldo is and always has been - an extraordinary champion who, alongside (Barcelona's) Lionel Messi, is reaching the biggest heights," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"They should be compared to Diego Maradona and Pele for the way they ultimately are able to decide the matches and trophies won by their teams." </p>