We all expect the greatest teams of all time to have at least one signature performance against a top team in the big stage that really says to the entire world "we are truly great and historical team and we are the best in the world!". Zidane's Real lacked such performances and convincing, great football in their first and third seasons, including their first and third UCL wins in 2016 and 2018. Strong mentality to win despite being dominated was what defined them.
But the 2017 team was truly great and it was really weird that they didn't win the treble in 2017, being surprisingly eliminated from Copa Del Rey by Celta de Vigo if I'm not mistaken. But they were great in La Liga and UCL. And if they had one signature performance, it was the big final against Juventus, at least the second half. Juventus was a truly great team, technically very good, solid as adamantium defensively and very sharp in counter-attack and possession, very complete and strong in all aspects. Juventus before the final had suffered only two goals in their entire UCL campaign before the final if I'm not mistaken. And these two goals came from corners, so no team in the UCL had been able to score against Juventus in open-play before the final! But Real defeated Juventus 4-1!
The first half of the 2017 final finished 1-1. It was tight and slightly dominated by Juventus. Juventus had 8 shots (4 on target) and 45% of ball possession while Real had 55% of ball possession, 5 shots and only one on target, CR7's goal.
But Real significantly upped their game in the second half while Juventus crumbled. The second half was humiliation, total destruction. Real scored three goals, had 13 shots (4 on target) and 53% of ball possession while Juve only had 3 shots, none on target. Real's great football throughout the season, their destruction of Atlético in the UCL semi-finals and the fantastic games against Bayern in the quarter-finals (though with bad refereeing decisions favorable to Real, the technical level and speed of the football played by Real and Bayern, specially in the second leg, was so high and wonderful to watch), really showed that 2017 Real played great football and truly were the best team in the world. They didn't play football in the alien technical level of Guardiola's Barcelona, but no team ever did really and Real 2017 stands on its own rights as a truly great and historical team and deserves high acclaim.
About the refereeing mistakes in the Real and Bayern's games, people forget that Vidal should have been sent off way before he was in the second leg. And Bayern had a totally non-existant penalty in the first leg when Bayern was 1-0 up in that game, but people forget it because the penalty was missed by Vidal. I concede, though, that Casemiro probably deserved to be sent off in the second leg two times and that two Real's goals were offside.
But the 2017 team was truly great and it was really weird that they didn't win the treble in 2017, being surprisingly eliminated from Copa Del Rey by Celta de Vigo if I'm not mistaken. But they were great in La Liga and UCL. And if they had one signature performance, it was the big final against Juventus, at least the second half. Juventus was a truly great team, technically very good, solid as adamantium defensively and very sharp in counter-attack and possession, very complete and strong in all aspects. Juventus before the final had suffered only two goals in their entire UCL campaign before the final if I'm not mistaken. And these two goals came from corners, so no team in the UCL had been able to score against Juventus in open-play before the final! But Real defeated Juventus 4-1!
The first half of the 2017 final finished 1-1. It was tight and slightly dominated by Juventus. Juventus had 8 shots (4 on target) and 45% of ball possession while Real had 55% of ball possession, 5 shots and only one on target, CR7's goal.
But Real significantly upped their game in the second half while Juventus crumbled. The second half was humiliation, total destruction. Real scored three goals, had 13 shots (4 on target) and 53% of ball possession while Juve only had 3 shots, none on target. Real's great football throughout the season, their destruction of Atlético in the UCL semi-finals and the fantastic games against Bayern in the quarter-finals (though with bad refereeing decisions favorable to Real, the technical level and speed of the football played by Real and Bayern, specially in the second leg, was so high and wonderful to watch), really showed that 2017 Real played great football and truly were the best team in the world. They didn't play football in the alien technical level of Guardiola's Barcelona, but no team ever did really and Real 2017 stands on its own rights as a truly great and historical team and deserves high acclaim.
About the refereeing mistakes in the Real and Bayern's games, people forget that Vidal should have been sent off way before he was in the second leg. And Bayern had a totally non-existant penalty in the first leg when Bayern was 1-0 up in that game, but people forget it because the penalty was missed by Vidal. I concede, though, that Casemiro probably deserved to be sent off in the second leg two times and that two Real's goals were offside.
