Real Madrid was knocked out at the last 16 stage of UEFA Champions League for the sixth successive season, this time being dumped by Lyon 2-1 on aggregate.
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoreline on the sixth minutes at the second league with a fine strike – his seventh UCL goal of the season – to level the aggregate at 1-1.
But a Miralem Pjanic equalizer in the 75th-minute was enough for Lyon to qualify for the next round on aggregate.
The early exit is especially disappointing as this year’s UCL final will be played at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s home ground.
Manchester United claimed the UEFA Champions League trophy in a dramatic match in Moscow. The game was decided with penalty shoot-outs after a 1-1 draw, and United were the luckier team to triumph at 6-5 with the spot kicks.
Ronaldo almost turned from hero to villain in the match, scoring the opening goal for United but missed a crucial penalty during the penalty shoot-out. Fortunately John Terry (unfortunate for him) missed a penalty later which could have gave Chelsea the cup and thus given United the lifeline again… and Van der Sar eventually took advantage of with a fine save against Nicholas Anelka for United’s triumph.
It was a tense and tight game; either side could have won it, and either side would be deserving winner if they won it. United dominated the first half, but Chelsea dominated the later part of the game. Lady luck was obviously on United side though, as Chelsea twice hit the woodwork… and there is nothing to explain how Terry could have missed the penalty besides luck (or no luck).
With this trophy it seems like Ronaldo is on course to claim both the European and world title as the best footballer of the year. Well, that is unless some messiah appears during the Euro competition which outshines the 42 goals Ronaldo has scored this season… but who knows, Ronaldo could yet again be the shinniest star in Euro 2008.
Cristiano Ronaldo will go into the UEFA Champions League final all but certain of winning of the ESM Golden Shoe for his 31 goals in the Premier League this season.
The Portuguese phenomenon is eight points clear of his closest rival in the race to be Europe’s best goalscorer of 2007/08, RCD Mallorca’s Daniel Güiza, who has scored 27 league goals. With the seasons in the leading five European leagues all at an end, it is incredibly unlikely that anyone can catch the Manchester United FC player at the top of the table.
The nearest player to Ronaldo in the rankings who still has domestic league fixtures to play is Celtic FC’s Scott McDonald, who is 16th in the table with 37.5 points. With 1.5 points being awarded for every goal in the Scottish Premier League, as opposed to two south of the border, McDonald would need 17 goals in his side’s final league game to take the title from Ronaldo.