Real Madrid, Champions League, final, trophy, Juventus
Real Madrid players celebrate after defending their Champions League crown, June 3, 2017Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo scored, twice, and two more came off the boots of Real Madrid players, and just like that Spanish side became the first club in the Champions League era to defend their title.

Overwhelmed and unable to focus when the pressure was really ramped up, Juventus suffered more heartbreak in a European final, just when they looked primed for an assault at halftime, with the scores level at 1-1.

Mario Mandzukic, with one of the best goals you will ever see in the Champions League, had equalised for Juventus, after Ronaldo, who else, had opened the scoring for Real Madrid, but once the referee blew the whistle to get the second half started, there was only one team.

"Again, I've had an amazing season," Ronaldo said. "Me and my teammates have done the double. The numbers don't lie.

"I'm very happy – an amazing season, we've won trophies. This is one of the best moments of my career. I have the chance to say this every year."

Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, Juventus, Champions League, final
Cristiano Ronaldo cannot hide his delight at the final whistle, after Real Madrid clinched their third Champions League title in four seasons, June 3, 2017Reuters

Casemiro put Real Madrid ahead with a lucky goal, that took a wicked deflection, before Ronaldo was on hand to make the game safe, slotting home off a pass from Luka Modric.

With substitute Juan Cuadrado seeing red for Juventus thanks to, shall we say, the experience of Sergio Ramos, any chance of a comeback was thrown out of the window.

Marco Asensio then added the icing on the cake with a late goal as Real Madrid won their third Champions League title in four years, a quite astonishing run.

"I feel extremely happy. It's been a spectacular year," Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane said. "You couldn't dream of anything better. We won the league on the very last day.

"It's very difficult to reach the Champions League final two years running, but we've done it. We played a great team. The first half was difficult, but in the second half we were superior."

Gianluigi Buffon, Juventus, Real Madrid, Champions League, final
The great Gianluigi Buffon missed out on the Champions League title yet again, June 3, 2017Reuters

For Juventus, this was a second loss in the final in three seasons, and a seventh defeat overall in nine, which includes their last five in a row.

Massimiliano Allegri was at a loss to explain how his team ended up conceding more goals in this one game than they have in the entire tournament leading up to the final.

"In the first half we played beautifully, in the second, Real Madrid pressed the accelerator and we weren't able to respond," Allegri aid. "Football can be a nightmare.

"The only criticism I could make is that after the second goal we should have stayed in the game mentally to make sure we still had chances."

Watch the highlights of the final HERE