Morata on fire for Real Madrid
Real Madrid never give up
In the 89th minute many Real Madrid fans were already heading home. Angry and upset about the unexpected 'defeat' at the hands of Jorge Jesús' magnificent Sporting Lisbon side. Oh ye of little faith. They still don't truly know their lover, as happens in so many homes. Madrid never give up. They never leave you in the lurch - even less so in their own home.
Zidane changed everything
Zidane, who became a football professor in this stadium, understood the lack of chemistry and took Bale (half-injured) and Benzema (lost and with no spark) off to put on two youngsters who came up through the ranks at Valdebebas: Morata and Lucas Vázquez. A bugle blast and the restrictive tactics thrown aside. Blood and thunder time, chalkboards to hell, the Bernabéu on fire.
Ronaldo levels
Let's go back to that ending. The 89th minute. The faithful, those who'd stayed, can tell their grandchildren. First, Cristiano. Him. A love shared by both teams. A free-kick at the top of the box. A silken glove. Heading to the top corner. Rui Patricio, the hero of the final in Paris touched it. But he couldn't stop his friend's delicacy. 1-1.
A fairytale ending at the Bernabéu
Some were satisfied. I repeat. Oh ye of little faith. The referee addded on four minutes. In those added seconds Real Madrid were merciless piranhas. Smelling blood like a great white. They could sense the cruel fate of their hapless prey. The Portuguese side, giants, hard as nails, to that point fell to pieces.
On the last move, James (viva Colombia!) curled one over and there in the air was Morata. Yes. The deluxe academy player, the brave youngster made a man and a gladiator in Turin. His header broke Sporting's soul and sent the hearts in the Bernabéu wild for their heroes. That is Real Madrid...
