Morata bittersweet after returning to haunt Real
By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid have splashed out millions of euros on forwards in recent years but one of their former youth players, deemed surplus to requirements, shattered their Champions League dream on Wednesday. Alvaro Morata left Real to join Juventus for around 18 million euros ($20.4 million) in the close season and the Spain international's second-half equaliser sent the Italian side through to the final of Europe's elite club competition against Barcelona. The 22-year-old also scored in last week's 2-1 Juve win in the semi-final first leg in Turin and a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu put them through 3-2 on aggregate and kept them on course to win a third continental crown in Berlin on June 6. "Morata is becoming a very important player, he has grown physically," Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri told a news conference. "He is a young lad who grew up at Madrid with many champions by his side," he added. "He started from the bench at Juventus but has grown a lot and I think there is still room for improvement." After Cristiano Ronaldo had put Real ahead midway through the first half, Morata's goal came 12 minutes into the second period when he controlled the ball in the centre of the penalty area and sent a bouncing effort into the roof of the net. He barely celebrated his goals in either game and told Spanish television Wednesday's strike had left him with a "bittersweet feeling". "Here and in Turin I came on to the pitch thinking that it was a training session (with my old team mates) and I had to stop and focus," Morata, who scored 10 goals in 37 appearances for Real, said. "I would have liked to have scored against another team but that's life," he added. "My feelings will be different against Barcelona. They are a great team but we are as well." Morata ended Real's hopes of a record-extending 11th European title and they face the prospect of ending the season without winning any of the Champions League or the Spanish league and Cup. Juve, by contrast, have wrapped up a fourth successive Serie A title and, like Barcelona, have a chance of a treble of European and domestic league and Cup titles. (Additional reporting by Zoran Milosavljevic, editing by Ed Osmond)
