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It's hard to start this recap. I guess I have to say sorry to Carlo Ancelotti. I was one of your doubters. And you proved me wrong. Win the Final or lose it, I was wrong. I wrote that your team did not compete properly against elite opposition. and you beat Bayern by 5-0 on aggregate. I own my words and it's fair to say that I was wrong.
Possession is a useless stat. It simply doesn't matter. Here's the ultimate proof. Tonight, Bayern Munich had the ball 69% of the time. Too bad they had one shot on target less than Ancelotti's Real Madrid. It's easy to mention Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo. Each one of them scored a brace after all. But the rest of the players were as brilliant.
Consider yourself lucky. You've witnessed history. And there's really nothing else to say. The game was really simple. Bayern kept the ball and tried to find their strikers through crosses but Pepe and Ramos dismantled every single attempt. Atlético and Chelsea are both really strong on aerial play, so both center backs should be keeping this form in Lisbon.
It will be easy to dwell on Alonso's yellow card. He will miss the Final. It's unfair. He deserves it just like everybody on the roster. Ancelotti will need to find a replacement and he has one month to think about this. Will he trust Illarramendi after his serious attack of stage fright in Dortmund? The player can be trusted. And it will be fair to rely on him after spending 32M€ on his signing. But will Ancelotti try to bring Sami Khedira back? That could definitely work. But that debate should be left for the following days.
Now, this is for Jesé Rodríguez and Xabi Alonso, two players that will not be able to play the Final. Jesé will hopefully win more Champions League with Real Madrid in the future while Alonso has certainly been crucial in this year's title run. Win it for them. And win it for Eusebio in Lisbon, Cristiano Ronaldo. Win it for him.