On Saturday, FC Barcelona will play against Juventus for the final match of the UEFA Champions League at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. Both clubs already have a domestic double and are hoping to win this match in order to complete a treble this season.
Barcelona will go to Berlin at full strength
All of Barça’s key players are 100% fit for the match in Berlin. The strike force of Messi, Neymar and Suarez are expected to be at front for the Catalans while Busquets, Iniesta and Rakitic will man the mid-field. For the defense, Alves, Piqué, Mascherano and Alba will all be present at the back while Ter Stegen will be the man between the sticks. Most of the players in this line-up were also part of Barca’s line-up which won the title in 2008 and 2011. The Catalans don’t just have some of the best players in this tournament, but also the most experienced in playing at this level.
This will be Barça’s first appearance at the European Cup final since 2011 and the eighth time that they’ve made it to the final stage of the tournament. They have a win loss record of 4-3 in the finals and have won all of their last three appearances. Hopefully, they will be able to extend their winning run in the final to four this weekend.
Juventus to miss Chillieni
Giorgio Chiellini, one of the key players of Juventus will not play in Berlin due to a hamstring injury. This is a main blow to Juve’s defense because Chiellini is one of the most experienced players in the squad.
This will be Juventus’ first appearance in the final of the Champions League in twelve years. But despite that, the Italian side will still field in a formidable line-up of experienced players for the match on Saturday. Italian internationals Buffon, Pirlo and Marchisio will all be present for Juve. They will be joined by Patrice Evra, Paul Pogba, Carlos Tévez and Alvaro Morata.
Barcelona’s edge over Juventus
Most of the players from Barça have experienced playing at the Champions League final in the past. I think this will play a big factor here. Although, many players from the Bianconeri have also played in the final before, this will be their first time to play together for the Italian club. On the other hand, Barca’s players have been playing solid as a team for many seasons already. In a situation like this where both teams have players who are technically superb, being able to play very well as a team on the field will make the big difference. For me, this is where Barcelona have a big advantage over Juventus.
