On Saturday in Berlin both Barcelona and Juventus have the opportunity to gain entrance into soccer’s elite society.
Only seven European clubs have accomplished the treble—Celtic in 1967, Ajax in 1972, PSV in 1988, Manchester United in 1999, Barcelona in 2009, Inter Milan in 2010 and Bayern Munich in 2013.
The Spanish champions are one win away from earning their fourth European title in the last decade—the club’s fifth overall—while the champions of Italy are searching for their third continental crown. It’s been 12 years since the Bianconeri have contested a Champions League final and almost two decades have passed since the Old Lady hoisted the illustrious trophy.
Here’s how the teams match up.
Saturday programming alert: Watch Juventus vs. Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final live on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet World. Coverage starts with our pre-game show at 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT. || Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
Goalkeeper
This will be an entertaining battle between a decorated veteran of the game and a youngster with plenty of potential. The stat lines are pretty even. Gianluigi Buffon has earned six clean sheets in 12 Champions League outings this season, conceding seven goals and recording 27 saves. Marc-Andre ter Stegen was equally as dominant with six clean sheets in the same amount of matches, 10 goals conceded and 19 saves made. This could be the German goalkeeper’s coming out party; having played second-fiddle to Manuel Neuer in the German national side, ter Stegen has the opportunity to seize the spotlight and be a part of history. Buffon’s resume includes Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup, and the World Cup. The Champions League title is all that remains.
Edge: Juventus
Defence
I would normally lean towards Juventus, but the news of Giorgio Chiellini’s absence on Saturday is a bitter pill to swallow for Juventus. A calf strain was confirmed by club doctors to be a first grade tear, and the 30 year-old defender will be watching from the sidelines. Andrea Barzagli is the likely choice to deputize for Chiellini. This has tipped the pendulum of power in Barcelona’s favour, as the La Liga champions have significantly improved defensively under Luis Enrique. Much of the credit goes to Javier Mascherano, but the re-emergence of Gerard Pique has also been integral. The speed and attacking prowess of Dani Alves and Jordi Alba down the flanks goes unmatched in the opposing dugout.
Edge: Barcelona
Midfield
Both clubs are pretty stacked in this department, which is why the battle will be won and lost down the middle. Barcelona possess two of the best midfielders to ever play the game in Andres Iniesta and Xavi. However, the importance for Juve to boss the midfield cannot be understated, and was the key to their victory over Real Madrid in the semis. When you size up and compare, the Italian champions hold the slight edge. Andrea Pirlo continues to defy logic with every performance despite his age (36). What he lacks in pace is fully covered by arguably the brightest youngster in the game today, Paul Pogba. The 22 year-old French international could be sold this summer for a sizeable sum, but should he depart Turin for greener pastures, the blow to Bianconeri supporters would be softened with a trophy raise in Berlin on Saturday. No disrespect to Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets—both are formidable players—but Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal are of a higher quality. Roberto Pereyra is also worth a mention as an option off the bench for the Bianconeri. It’s simply a numbers game, and Juve hold all the cards—albeit slightly.
Edge: Juventus
Forwards
Short and sweet: 127 goals combined over three competitions (Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey). Lionel Messi (60), Neymar (42) and Luis Suarez (25) have proven to be impossible for opponents to silence. The attacking trident is by far the best in football—past and present. The scoring numbers are staggering, but it goes beyond just putting the ball into the net. What isn’t mentioned is the trio’s ability to distribute the ball—especially Messi and Suarez who combined for an incredible 51 assists this season. By comparison, Juventus’ forwards (Carlos Tevez, Alvaro Morata and Fernando Llorente) combined for 50 goals overall—10 less than Messi alone.
Edge: Barcelona
Intangibles
How do you replace and match the success of Antonio Conte at Juventus? The current Azzurri boss was respected and loved by Juventus supporters, and his sudden resignation before the start of the season came as a shock, but even more surprising was the hiring of Massimiliano Allegri as his replacement. The former Milan manager wasn’t exactly greeted with open arms by fans. It’s safe to say Allegri has proven all his doubters wrong—you can even draw the argument this season’s Juventus side is better than any under Conte. Equally, Luis Enrique has transformed a mediocre trophy-less Barcelona under Gerardo Martino into the current powerhouse that is 90 minutes away from the club’s second treble in six years. Similar to his counterpart in the opposing dugout, should Barcelona be victorious on Saturday, Enrique’s 2015 Barca could usurp Pep Guardiola’s 2009 side as the best in the club’s history.
Edge: Even
