Juve vs Barca
Venue: Olympiastadion
Kick off: 7:45pm
Berlin hosts the Champions League final for the first time on Saturday (today) as the European season comes to a conclusion at the Olympiastadion, with a battle between the champions of Italy and Spain.
Both Juventus and Barcelona have already done the domestic league-and-cup double and will be hoping to complete a memorable treble in the German capital.
The Old Lady have been the dominant side in Serie A for four seasons, this year winning the league by 17 points – the same margin they had to Roma a year ago.
However, until this term they have disappointed on the European stage in recent years. This is their first Champions League final for 12 years since the defeat to AC Milan at Old Trafford in 2003. They haven’t won Europe’s elite competition since 1996 when they beat Ajax on penalties in Rome.
In all competitions and the Champions League, Masimilliano Allegri’s side are unbeaten in nine games and they are desperately hoping not to become the first team to lose in the final of the European Cup/Champions League six times.
Their route to the final has included victories in the knockout stages over Borussia Dortmund, Monaco and, most notably, last year’s winners Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
A Barca-Real El Clasico showdown was expected in Berlin, but Allegri’s side upset the odds with a 3-2 aggregate victory against Los Blancos.
Four of Juve’s squad – Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan 2003, 2007), Patrice Evra and Carlos Tevez (Manchester United 2008) and Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid 2014) – have Champions League final-winning experience.
Talismanic goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the sole survivor of their last final appearance in 2003, when Pirlo was on the opposing side.
Barca wrapped up their fifth La Liga title in seven years by finishing two clear of Clasico rivals Real this season. On Saturday they added the Copa del Rey with a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.
They are appearing in their first final since 2011 with arguably the greatest ever club squad and perhaps the best player to ever kick a football. Lionel Messi’s solo effort to open the scoring on Saturday was arguably the finest goal of his career.
A goal for the Argentinian wizard today would take him above Cristiano Ronaldo in the all-time Champions League scoring charts – they are currently both on 77. He would also become the first player to score in three separate finals if he finds the net after bagging goals in the 2009 and 2011 victories over Man United.
The Catalans’ deadly front three of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar have scored a whopping 120 goals between them in all competitions this term, surpassing the 118 Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain managed for Real in 2011-12.
Barca are in the final following victories over Manchester City (3-1), Paris Saint-Germain (5-1) and Bayern Munich (5-3) in the knockout stages.
After a sensational 3-0 win over Bayern in the first leg, Barca lost the second leg 3-2 and that put an end to a nine-game winning streak in Europe. Still, they will enter the match as favourites.
Like opposite number Allegri, Enrique is trying to complete the treble in his first season in charge.
Juve possible starting lineup: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Barzagli, Evra; Pirlo, Pogba, Marchisio, Vidal; Morata, Tevez.
Barca possible starting lineup: Ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Neymar, Suarez, Messi.
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir.