Toni Kroos and Real Madrid claimed a crucial 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid in their UEFA Champions League semi final first leg. World champion Kroos was named in the starting eleven and played the full 90 minutes as Cristiano Ronaldo notched another hat trick in the competition to give his side a massive advantage going into the second leg against their local rivals.
The Portuguese forward got Real Madrid off to the perfect start when he headed home Casemiro’s cross in the tenth minute. While Atletico did threaten on the counter, they created relatively little in the way of clear chances, and the home side were dominant with the game mostly under control. Kroos put in a confident performance, remaining a persistent danger from set piece situations.
The game opened up a little more in the second half, but Real Madrid remained the stronger side. Ronaldo grabbed an emphatic volleyed second in the 73rd minute. While Atletico pushed up further in search of the vital away goal, Real caught them on the counter, and Ronaldo added close-range finish to complete his hat-trick with four minutes left to play, putting Real Madrid on course to reach their third Champions League final in four seasons.
Toni Kroos and Real Madrid claimed a crucial 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid in their UEFA Champions League semi final first leg. World champion Kroos was named in the starting eleven and played the full 90 minutes as Cristiano Ronaldo notched another hat trick in the competition to give his side a massive advantage going into the second leg against their local rivals.
The Portuguese forward got Real Madrid off to the perfect start when he headed home Casemiro’s cross in the tenth minute. While Atletico did threaten on the counter, they created relatively little in the way of clear chances, and the home side were dominant with the game mostly under control. Kroos put in a confident performance, remaining a persistent danger from set piece situations.
The game opened up a little more in the second half, but Real Madrid remained the stronger side. Ronaldo grabbed an emphatic volleyed second in the 73rd minute. While Atletico pushed up further in search of the vital away goal, Real caught them on the counter, and Ronaldo added close-range finish to complete his hat-trick with four minutes left to play, putting Real Madrid on course to reach their third Champions League final in four seasons.
