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UEFA Champions League final live scores: Barcelona vs Juventus

6th June, 2015
Kickoff: 04:45 AEST, Sunday June 7 2015
Venue: Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
Head to Head: Played 8, Barcelona 2, Juventus 4, 2 draws
TV: SBS – Live from 04:15, ESPN – Live from 04:00
Betting (after normal time): Barcelona $1.62, Juventus $5.50, Draw $4.00
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey)

Last Five Meetings
Barcelona 1-2 Juventus (Camp Nou, UEFA Champions League, 22/04/03)
Juventus 1-1 Barcelona (Stadio delle Alpi, UEFA Champions League, 09/04/03)
Juventus 1-0 Barcelona (Stadio delle Alpi, UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 24/04/91)
Barcelona 3-1 Juventus (Camp Nou, UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 10/04/91)
Juventus 1-1 Barcelona (Stadio Olimpico, UEFA European Cup, 19/03/86)
Barcelona waved goodbye to Neymar, pocketing over $300 million. (photo: AFP)
Roar Guru
6th June, 2015
84
7114 Reads

Two of Europe’s headline acts contest the showpiece final of the Champions League, as Barcelona and Juventus do battle in the Olympiastadion of Berlin. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 04:30 AEST on Sunday morning.

Two giants they may be, but familiar they are not. Twelve years have passed since Barcelona and Juventus two last crossed paths in two Champions League quarter-final legs. The Italians would triumph in that contest, only to later lose the final against domestic rivals AC Milan.

Much water under the bridge has since passed in the fortunes of both clubs since those April 2003 meetings. Juventus was enjoying their time as the ascendant club of Europe, while Barcelona gave little hint to the revolution they were about to unleash later upon the continent.

Barca were holders of only one European title at the time – on Sunday, they compete for the right to keep a European Cup in their Catalan headquarters with a possible fifth success.

Juventus’ reprise as a footballing force has been cited as the rebirth of Italian football’s prestige – so badly damaged following the 2006 Calciopoli scandal. From its nadir in Serie B, Juventus has rebuilt its brand and regained its identity as Italy’s finest domestic club, and now compete for their third major European title.

Given both clubs enjoyed league glory domestically this season, both Luis Enrique and Massimo Allegri will place faith upon their tested methods of success. For Barcelona, see Messrs. Messi, Neymar and Suarez for where Enrique will build his tactics upon. 95 goals is the figure that the South American trio have amassed together in all competitions since Suarez’s arrival from Liverpool, 15 of which comes from the continental tournament.

Yet Barca’s strength is further underlined by the providers Ivan Rakitic and the timeless Andres Iniesta, while being well served in a defensive capacity by Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano. Despite conceding the high tally of 10 goals in Europe this season, Enrique will likely retain Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal, rather than be tempted to hand Claudio Bravo his first European appearance for Barca in the final.

With at least five of the starting XI that won the 2011 final likely to start on Sunday, it is a familiar stage Barcelona will compete on, and they will be hardened for it.

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Thus the challenge becomes greater for Juventus, who despite boasting the quality of Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Patrice Evra and Carlos Tevez as former Champions League winners, enter Berlin as firm underdogs. The main question for Allegri resides up top, as to whether he keeps Tevez as a lone frontman while focusing more on his defensive formation, or if Alvaro Morata is rewarded for his impact against Real Madrid.

Allegri will likely keep a back four protected by rising star Paul Pogba, with Evra likely to start in place of Giorgio Chiellini, who has been ruled out of a possible reunion against his World Cup nemesis Luis Suarez.

Further emphasis will be placed upon the Chilean Arturo Vidal, whose work is critical to unlocking Barcelona’s defence and denying the ball at the other end for Messi and co to do their work. Juventus will likely opt for a possession-based game, where the tackling of Pogba and creativity of Pirlo is essential.

The final critical component comes from the poignancy of the occasion. It is appropriate Juventus take their place in this year’s showpiece, as it marks 30 years since the fateful 1985 final, where 39 people, mainly Italians, lost their lives in the Heysel disaster. Juventus would go onto win their maiden European crown that day against Liverpool, albeit in the midst of heartbreaking tragedy. The stage is set for a far happier occasion on Sunday, to truly do tribute to the memory of 30 years ago.

While the neutral across the world will harbour a Juventus victory, it is Barcelona who are expected to triumph. Expect a slow-paced patient game that may go to extra time, but with both sets of attack relishing the opportunity to find the net.

Barcelona (expected starting XI): ter Stegen, Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta, Messi, Suarez, Neymar

Juventus (expected starting XI): Buffon, Lichsteiner, Caceres, Bonucci, Evra, Pogba, Pepe, Pirlo, Marchisio, Tevez, Morata

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