Madrid and Juventus will both be competing in their sixth UEFA Champions League final, which equals AC Milan’s record.
Real Madrid need one more goal to become the first team to score 500 in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final.
Real Madrid’s loss at Atlético in the semi-final second leg leaves Juventus as the only unbeaten side remaining in the competition this season. The Bianconeri are bidding to become the seventh team to win the UEFA Champions League undefeated, and the first since Manchester United in 2008.
Juve have been stellar on defense this season, that’s clear. he Italian side have only conceded 28 goals in 42 matches played by starting goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon this season, much to the delight of their hardcore Italian supporters and pundits who like their teams built around a solid defensive line. Juventus can score and have a good attacking system, but the way they defend is clearly their main weapon.
On the other hand, that’s Real Madrid main and only weakness. Los Blancos have conceded 49 goals in 40 matches played by Keylor Navas and they’ve only kept seven clean sheets with him on goal. Coach Zinedine Zidane has world class defenders like Sergio Ramos or Dani Carvajal at his disposal, but the defensive system seems to have some weaknesses. Can Real Madrid prove that offense wins championships?
Madrid and Juve will both be competing in their sixth UEFA Champions League final, which equals AC Milan’s record.
Madrid have won all five of their UEFA Champions League finals, claiming a record number of triumphs, while Juventus have lost the fixture more times than any other club – four. Indeed, their only victory was on penalties – against Ajax in 1996.
Other than Madrid, the only sides to boast a 100% record in UEFA Champions League finals are one-time finalists Marseille (1993), Porto (2004) and Internazionale (2010).
Should Madrid triumph in Cardiff, it will be the tenth UEFA Champions League win for a Spanish side – twice as many as the next highest-ranked nation, Italy. It would also be Spain’s fourth success in a row; no other country has managed two on the spin.
Zinedine Zidane could be the first coach to win consecutive UCL Title ( Photo: Getty Images)
Should Juve achieve the treble, Massimiliano Allegri will add his name to a coaching roll of honour that contains Sir Alex Ferguson, Josep Guardiola, José Mourinho, Jupp Heynckes and Luis Enrique.
Also Captain Gianluigi Buffon will become the oldest player to appear in a UEFA Champions League final victory at the age of 39 years and 126 days.
Buffon could become the oldest player to win UCL Title (Photo: Getty Images)
Juventus have the better system. Coach Allegri built an impressive defensive wall around Buffon, Chiellini and Bonucci with players like Alves and Sandro shining as well. Madrid tend to struggle defensively and can’t keep a clean sheet.
Unluckily enough for Juventus, Sergio Ramos plays for Real Madrid. The Spanish defender has scored decisive goals in previous Champions League Finals and he doesn’t collapse under pressure. He can make some mistakes here and there throughout the course of a whole season and yet he always delivers on the big stage. Can he add another brilliant performance in a Champions League Final to his legacy?
