This is going to be so much fun. Barcelona and Juventus booked their places in the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final after recording nerve-wracking semifinal victories over Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively. It’s going to be a classic case of offense vs. defense between these two sides so expect fireworks to erupt at the Olympiastadion in Berlin for the final this coming June 6.
Who will emerge victorious in this mouth-watering title showdown? Read on below for a preview of this Champions League final and while you’re at it, you can check out the experts’ picks for this much-anticipated clash.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]That’s the question on everyone’s lips after their masterful display against Bayern Munich in the semifinal stage of the Champions League. The Catalans stamped their class over the Bavarian giants beating them 5-3 in aggregate. That tie was basically decided in the first leg at the Nou Camp, where Barcelona ran riot in the final minutes to record a 3-0 win.
The catalyst for that late outburst was Lionel Messi who scored a double in a span of just three minutes. The four-time Ballon d’Or winner has been phenomenal for Barcelona in Europe this season. He leads the Champions League not only in goals (10) but also in assists (5) as well. The 27-year-old has been superb for Barcelona in the domestic scene as well, scoring 40 goals in La Liga this season.
What makes this Barcelona team so frightening is that they are not just a one-man team. With Luis Suarez and Neymar in tow, they boast of one of the greatest attacking triumvirates in the game’s history. The trio have already combined for a whopping 114 goals this season.
Luis Suarez, in particular, has played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s renaissance this campaign. Many were questioning Barcelona’s decision to sign Suarez for £80million this past summer but the Uruguayan has proven the doubters wrong, scoring 24 goals and dishing out 23 assists for the Catalans thus far this season.
Barcelona’s scoring might was there for all to see in the knockout stages, scoring a combined 13 goals in the previous three rounds against European heavyweights Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. With the form that they are in right now, the Catalans will fancy their chances of grabbing their fifth Champions League title this year.
FC Barcelona are 4-3 in UEFA Champions League Final games.
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Betting on Juventus
If there’s one team, though, who can stop the offensive juggernaut that is Barcelona, it’s got to be Juventus. The Serie A champions showed their defensive prowess in the semifinal against Real Madrid, holding the Spanish giants to just two goals over the two legs. That was more than enough for Juventus who eked out a 3-2 aggregate win.
It has been that way all season for Juventus who have allowed just seven goals in the Champions League this campaign. Their defensive brilliance was no surprise though, as the Italian heavyweights have been shutting out offenses in the Serie A the past number of seasons. Juventus’ defense has been the best in Serie A for the past four years now, allowing just 81 goals in 149 league matches.
During this stretch, they have managed to keep an incredible 81 clean sheets. That resolute defense was there for all to see in the second leg clash against Real Madrid where Juventus repelled wave after wave of attacks by the Galacticos. To be exact, Real Madrid recorded 23 shot attempts against the Old Lady.
Even if that was the case, though, the Italians looked to be in complete control of proceedings thanks in large part to the excellent play of Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Juve’s defensive trio buckled down to work after Ronaldo’s opener and laid the foundation for Alvaro Morata’s winning goal in the second half.
With that being said, Juventus can’t afford to sit back in the upcoming final against Barcelona. The onus is on Juventus’ midfield to impose their will in the match and prevent Barcelona from dominating possession. Fortunately for manager Massimiliano Allegri, he has the personnel to execute such a game plan.
Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio showed their worth in the second leg against Real Madrid, holding their own in the middle of the park against the Galacticos. The difference-maker in the Juve midfield, however, was the ageless wonder Andrea Pirlo. In fact, he was instrumental in the creation of Morata’s match-winning goal.
Pirlo will play a crucial part in the final as he will be the one tasked to dissect Barcelona on the counter-attack. Barcelona may possess a world-class attack but sometimes they over-commit on the offensive end which leaves them susceptible to opponents’ counter-attacks. That was pretty much evident in their recent 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal.
Juventus are 4-2-2 against Barcelona in their head-to-head meetings.
Writer’s Prediction
Barcelona (-205) wins, 3-1, to grab their fifth Champions League title.
