Real Madrid 1-3 Juventus: 5 Talking Points

#4 Real Madrid miss Karim Benzema dearly

What's up now, Madrid?

For whatever reasons he was given a day off, Karim Benzema not being upfront greatly upset Real Madrid's chances in the final third. Without Benzema, Ronaldo was often an isolated figure in the opposition's half as Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Isco struggled to pick out Ronnie with that final ball.

Without Ronaldo having no one to feed off, he looked a tad too puzzled inside the area and with Bale and Modric conjuring up nothing of note, it looked like Real Madrid's chances on the night rode on keeping Juve from scoring 3 goals.

For all the flak he receives, Karim Benzema is still a vital cog in the Real Madrid system and his excellent link-up play is crucial to their efficiency in the final third.