It wasn’t quite like that night in Milan three years ago but Gareth Bale scored again in Italy on Tuesday night to help send Real Madrid into the last-16 of the Champions League barring a bizarre set of results in their last two games.

Bale has now scored five goals in the competition and four have them have come in Italy. He couldn’t match the hat-trick he scored in the San Siro against Inter in 2010 but his second half strike made it three goals in three games for Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 59th Champions League goal in his 100th European Cup game to cancel out Arturo Vidal’s penalty and although Fernando Llorente equalized Bale’s goal, Madrid are all but mathematically certain to go through from the group. Ronaldo had Madrid’s first chance on nine minutes with a cross shot from the right that Gianluigi Buffon got his fingertips to.

Bale soon had his first chance. Starting on the left he tried and failed to beat Juventus right-back Martin Caceres, but robbed the ball back from the defender and tested Buffon with a low right-footed shot. It was Juventus who had the greater need for the three points and from a Paul Pogba cross that Pepe swung at, and completely missed, Casillas had to make his first save.

One summary of Real Madrid’s recent form suggested they have dynamite in attack, but infortunately in defence too and true to recent form Pepe kicked fresh-air as he tried to clear before Ramos sold Casillas short with a back-pass that the keeper had to volley clear. Howard Webb ticked Ronaldo off for a foul on Caceres, had words with Bale and then booked Luka Modric ruling him out of Madrid’s next game.

Juventus then had their first real chance when Llorente got one to one with Marcelo at the back post from Tevez’ cross and Casillas produces a brilliant save with his right foot. The world’s greatest shot stopper remains less comfortable coming for corners however and he came for and missed one corner twice, the second time clashing with Pepe who was trying to head the ball clear. Madrid’s luck was only going to last for so long and on minute 41 it ran out.

Rafael Varane slid-in on Pogba and brought him down with his trailing leg and Arturo Vidal smashed the penalty in to the roof of Casillas’ net. Madrid players had earlier gone for the same ball in their own penalty area and they repeated the trick in Juventus’ box just before the break. Marcelo’s driven cross was met by both Benzema and Ronaldo with the latter put off by the former, sending his shot wide.

Bale flashed a shot well wide with Benzema well placed to receive the pass and then Modric over hit a pass to his former Tottenham team-mate as Madrid started the second half as they finished the first. But on 53 minutes Ronaldo was put through by Benzema after Caceres’ mistake and he clipped a shot over Buffon to equalize.

The goal woke Madrid up and Alonso crashed a shot against the bar from 30 yards out. Juventus threatened to hit back immediately and Pogba crossed, Marchisio shot and Pepe cleared off the line. But just as Ronaldo only needs half a chance the same applies to Bale.

Marcelo played the ball forward to Ronaldo he fed the Welshman who took two touches before lacing it past Buffon to give Madrid the lead. It was short-lived because Llorente headed past Casillas from Caceres’ cross.

Madrid then had a free-kick in Bale territory but despite the set-piece favouring a left-footer, Ronaldo took it and blasted it into the wall. He had perhaps promised Bale the next one, but there was no next one for Bale as he was replaced by Angel Di Maria with a quarter-of-an-hour left. Tevez shot from distance and Casillas saved in what was Juventus best chance but Madrid held out for the point that sends them all but mathematically through with two games to spare.

— Daily Mail