This evening’s UEFA Champions League final is shaping up to be one for the ages. La Liga giants Barcelona will go up against Italian underdogs Juventus, who shockingly ousted Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
The two teams last met in the 2002-03 Champions League quarter-final, where Juventus won 3-2 on aggregate against a Barca side captained by current manager Luis Enrique.
Gianluigi Buffon was also playing in goal for The Old Lady that day, so needless to say Enrique will be looking for his side to carry out some vengeance against the Italian keeper.
This weekend’s final will match up one of Europe’s best offensive sides with one of the top defenses. Both Enrique and Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri are seeking the title in their first seasons with their respective clubs. The match is an opportunity for Barcelona to seal their reputation as the most formidable attackers in football, but also for Juventus to rock the Spanish boat with a strong defensive showing.
With so much to prove for both sides, here's five things to watch for in the Champions League Final...
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A guaranteed treble
Both Barcelona and Juventus would complete the rare treble with a win on Saturday, having each won their respective League and Cup titles.
It would be the first treble for the Italians, and second for the Spanish club. No other team in history has ever achieved the treble twice.
No matter the result, history is in the making this year; it just depends who will put the icing on the cake.
More records for Messi?
Barcelona star Lionel Messi has gone his whole career being compared to Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two are currently tied for the most Champions League goals in history with 77 apiece.
A goal Saturday would push Messi to the top spot as well as make him the only player to have scored in three Champions League finals.
A missing piece for Juventus
You might hear a strange noise during the match: the growling of Luis Suarez’s stomach.
Juve star defender Giorgio Chiellini, whom Suarez famously bit during the 2014 World Cup, will sit out with a calf injury.
Andrea Barzagli will line up in place of Chiellini, but it will be his first return to competition since May 23 after being sidelined for muscular problems.
Sharing is caring for Barcelona
Messi isn’t the only problem The Old Lady has to worry about. Barca have developed a deadly three-pronged attack this season through the combination of Messi, Suarez and Neymar.
The trio have accounted for 25 of Barcelona’s 28 Champions League goals. They don’t do it all on their own, however.
Eleven players on Enrique’s squad have contributed at least one assist this year, a nod to the team’s incredible work distribution.
Pogba on the prowl
Though often talked about as a defence-oriented team, Juventus have plenty offensive weapons of their own.
Among talents like Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez, midfielder Paul Pogba has emerged as the side’s key attacker.
The French youngster has already notched one goal and three assists in Juventus’ Champions League run, but his main strengths lie in the dribbling and long-range shooting which see him have an impact from pretty much anywhere on the pitch.