An impudent goal from Pedja Mijatovic 23 minutes from the end of a final rich in promise but let down by poor finishing gave Real Madrid their first European Cup triumph for 32 years last night. The Montenegrin punished a moment of slackness in the Juventus defence after Real had steadily gained a grip of the match after a nervous start.
Never was there a better opportunity for a European final to remind the world at large that football could still set new levels of skill, entertainment and style. The World Cup was a mere three weeks away. Now was surely the time to give it its cue.
Juventus, in their third successive European Cup final and seeking to regain the prize surprisingly snatched from their grasp by Borussia Dortmund last season, were the team in form. Champions of Italy once again, they were expected to beat opponents whose results since the New Year had been disappointing.
Yet if anything could stir Real Madrid last night it was surely their illustrious past. Few teams, even now, have approached the standards of attacking play set by the Real sides that monopolised the first five European Cup tournaments in the latter half of the 1950s, and while they had only won the trophy once more, in 1966, there was sufficient quality among last night's players to take on Juventus in a battle of wits.
Clearly Real needed to keep their wits about them. With Edgar Davids and Angelo Di Livio quick to find space to Zinedine Zidane's left and right there was immediate support for the Juventus strikers, Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi, although the first shot of the night was a 25-yard drive from Didier Deschamps which sent Bodo Illgner scurrying along his goal-line to make the save.
Then Clarence Seedorf, Real's Dutch answer to Davids, raised Spanish hopes as he began combining with Christian Panucci to turn the Juventus defence on the right.
Yet with Zidane consistently drifting into dangerous areas Juventus seemed more likely to score in the opening period. Shortly before the quarter-hour Del Piero, receiving his own free-kick back from the defensive wall immediately laid the ball off to Zidane, who shot into the side netting.
After 18 minutes a free-kick at the other end gave Juventus their first fright of the night. Fernando Redondo tapped the ball back to Fernando Hierro, whose rising shot was tipped over the bar by Peruzzi. From the corner Mijatovic headed a fraction wide of the near post.
Clearly something was stirring in Real Madrid's soul, and after 26 minutes they should have been ahead. Gathering a pass from Redondo, Mijatovic side-stepped a lunging challenge from Moreno Torricelli and crossed low to the near post where Raul put the ball wide.
A disappointment for Real, then, although the ease with which they had swung past the Juventus cover was heavy with portent. As half-time approached, moreover, there were growing signs that Seedorf, Redondo and Christian Karembeu were beginning to curb the influence of Zidane.
The second half saw Alessio Tacchinardi replacing Di Livio on the Juventus right but for a time the growing pattern of the first was unaltered.
In the 62nd minute Real could so easily have fallen behind. Zidane's free-kick took a deflection and the ball fell to Inzaghi inside the six-yard area with only Illgner barring the way but he mishit his shot and the chance was gone.
A costly miss, as events were soon to prove. In the 67th minute a shot from Roberto Carlos cannoned off a defender, the ball falling nicely for Mijatovic, who calmly dummied Peruzzi before hooking the ball into the net. Even as Real rejoiced Juventus should have drawn level, Inzaghi shooting wide from Del Piero's cross.
Juventus have been made 4-1 favourites for next season's competition by bookmakers William Hill. Fellow Italians Inter Milan are 5-1, then they bet 6-1 Barcelona, 8-1 Arsenal and Real Madrid, 10-1 Ajax and Manchester United.
Juventus: Peruzzi, Torricelli, Montero, Iuliano, Pessotto (Fonseca 71), Di Livio (Tacchinardi 46), Deschamps (Conte 78), Davids, Zidane, Del Piero, Inzaghi. Subs Not Used: Aronica, Giandomenico. Booked: Montero, Davids.
Real Madrid: Illgner, Panucci, Hierro, Sanchis, Carlos, Karembeu, Redondo, Seedorf, Raul (Amavisca 90), Mijatovic (Suker 90), Morientes (Jaime 82). Booked: Hierro, Carlos, Seedorf, Karembeu. Goals: Mijatovic 67. Att: 47,500.
Referee: H Krug (Germany).
