Buffon blows fuse in Real ref rage

Amid the swarm of Juventus players surrounding Oliver, Ronaldo kept his cool. This was a record-stretching 11th consecutive Champions League game in which he has scored.

"I do not understand why they protest against the penalty," Ronaldo told beIN Sports.

"If he did not commit the foul, Lucas would have scored. During the game, Benatia and the rest of them had already been kicking us from behind. But we are happy and we are in the semifinals."

Real coach Zinedine Zidane was more sympathetic towards Buffon.

"He did not deserve that," Zidane said. "But we cannot change it. It will not take away everything he has done, even if it's a shame to end his Champions League career this way."

Croatian international Mario Mandzukic set Juve on its way with a goal after just 76 seconds－the fastest Real has ever conceded in this competition－and then scored again before halftime with another header at the back post.

When Keylor Navas fumbled Douglas Costa's cross on the hour, allowing Blaise Matuidi to stab home, Juve was on the cusp of ensuring there would be no Spanish representative in the last four, following Barcelona's elimination on Tuesday.

But Oliver blew for the penalty, Buffon exploded and Ronaldo hit the net.

"It leaves a bitter taste," Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said.

"Because we have not had the chance to take the game to extra time. In view of the two legs both teams would have deserved to move on to the next phase."

Real, meanwhile, edges one step closer to claiming an unprecedented third consecutive Champions League triumph, a fourth in five years. It joins Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Roma in Friday's semifinal draw.

"What I did not expect is in minute one to score a goal," Zidane said. "By conceding the goal after a minute, you drop your head and give them life. Then they played a good game－they were good and we were bad."

Gareth Bale perhaps paid the heaviest price. Bale had been handed his first Champions League start since September by Zidane, but the Welshman was hauled off at halftime with his team trailing 2-0. Casemiro also made way as Marco Asensio and Vazquez came on.

"Something had to change," Zidane said. "I was not happy with the approach, it was not to punish Gareth or Casemiro.

"We have changed a little more the dynamics, with Lucas and Marco giving us a little more energy. We had to do it."

AFP