Minnows vs Giants
For the third successive year the UEFA Champions League final is between a high profile club, Barcelona, and a team which does not have the same economic might, or record or glamour, Juventus. In the IPL context it is like Chennai Super Kings taking on Kings XI Punjab or Delhi Daredevils in the final.
Barcelona start favourites as their South American trio of Lionel Messi (58), Neymar (38) and Luis Suarez (24) have scored a stunning 120 goals this season to help the Catalan club already win the league and cup double.
If they win the Triple Crown, it will be for the second time in six years. The last occasion was in 2009 when Pep Guardiola was coach. It will also be their fourth UEFA Champions League title in the last decade.
However, Juventus coached by Massimiliano Allegri is at also the threshold of history. They have won their first domestic league and Cup double in twenty years. If they can upset Barcelona and win the UEFA Champions league tonight, for only the third time, they will have achieved the Triple Crown for the first time.
Tactics
The outcome of the final could well hinge on the battle in the midfield. Barcelona plays in a 4-3-3 formation with Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta the midfield trio. Messi frequently drops back to retrieve the ball and make surging runs in attack.
In contrast Juventus use the diamond formation in midfield. Playmaker Andrea Pirlo sits deep and sprays passes to create openings. The other midfielders Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal are dynamic and physically intimidating.
If Juventus can hassle Barcelona’s fluency in passing, the final could become very competitive. Juventus’s ace central defender Giorgio Chiellini has been ruled out of Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final, with a muscle injury. This will weaken their back four and if Barcelona scores first they could canter to an easy victory.
A Little History
The UEFA champions’ league started as the European Champions Cup in 1956 and since then there have been five Italy vs Spain club finals. All these encounters were in the 20th century.
The first was in 1958 when Real Madrid ousted AC Milan 3-2. Barcelona has a mixed record against Italian clubs in the final. They beat Sampadoria 1-0 in 1992 with their Dutch defender Ronald Keoman scoring with a blistering free kick. But two years later in Athens they were outclassed by AC Milan 0-4.
A Final Hurrah
The 2015 final could be the last hurrah for three iconic players. Xavi of Barcelona who is leaving the club after this match and Juventus’ custodian Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Andrea Pirlo. Buffon and Pirlo are both 36 years old and are unlikely to play another Champions league final.
Pirlo has won this trophy with AC Milan in both 2003 and 2007 but Buffon has never won this prestigious club event. At this same venue he helped Italy win the World Cup in 2006. But he will have to be at his best to foil, Messi, Neymar and Suarez.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)