A superb Juventus performance was ultimately not quite enough to seal a stunning comeback as Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial late penalty saw Real Madrid through the the Champions League semi-finals for the eighth successive season.
Faced with the seemingly impossible task of scoring three goals without reply at the Bernabeu to force extra time, Juve got off to the perfect start as Mario Mandzukic - handed a start in place of the suspended Paulo Dybala - rose unmarked at the far post to convert Sami Khedira's cross from the right with less than two minutes gone.
On the stroke of half-time the hosts were within inches of a key goal as Raphael Varane rattled the crossbar with a header from a Toni Kroos free-kick.
Nevertheless, Juve went in two goals to the good at the break, sparking a daring double change from Zinedine Zidane as Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez replaced Casemiro and Gareth Bale.
Both sides had chances in the early exchanges of the second half with Ronaldo seeing a low effort well gathered by Buffon and Navas having to be alert to deny a similar strike from Higuain.
- Navas clager -
It proved to be a case of from the sublime to the ridiculous, though, for the Costa Rican just minutes later as he allowed the impressive Douglas Costa's ball in from the right to slip through his grasp and fall at the feet of Blaise Matuidi to put Juventus level on aggregate and on the verge of dreamland.
A Juventus goal at that point would have left the hosts needing two to progress but it was 'Los Blancos' who piled on the pressure, Isco's low effort from the edge of the box forced Buffon into a fine save after taking a nick off Medhi Benatia. Whilst Raphael Varane saw an effort on the turn flash narrowly wide of the far post from the ensuing corner.
At that point we looked destined for 30 extra minutes, but it wasn't to be.
In the last of the three minutes added on at the end of the 90, Benatia was adjudged to have come through the back of Vazquez as he attempted to convert Ronaldo's header back across goal and Michael Oliver pointed immediately to the spot. The decision saw incensed Juventus players immediately surround the referee, with the usually mild-mannered Gianluigi Buffon sent off for his aggressive approach to the official.
Despite five minutes passing between the decision and the penalty being taken Ronaldo kept his cool to fire the spot-kick into the top corner and send Real Madrid through to the semi-finals of their favourite competition, where they will be joined by Liverpool, Roma and Bayern Munich.
It was harsh on the Italians, who had given it everything in their attempts to ensure a famous comeback victory. It seems particularly disappointing that Buffon's Champions League career looks set to end with a red card.