BARCA vs JUVE! The battle for TREBLE….
Having sealed their Fourth consecutive Serie
A victory and Copa Italia, The Old Lady will now have to shift focus to the Uefa
Champions League Final as they look to clinch a treble, where they lock horns
with one of Europe's finest.
However the Turin outfit have a number of
spheres to source out inspiration from, such as their recent Serie A double and
their triumph over the defending champions Real Madrid in the semi-finals,
which could have provided them with the knowledge, self-belief and confidence
that they can take on any team in Europe with an equal chance of victory and
that include the star-studded Catalan outfit, who on the other hand were the
first to seal a place in the Champions League final after a 5-3 aggregate
triumph over Bayern Munich.
The Luis Enrique led Barca will enter the
Olympiastadion in Berlin with the Poise of La-Liga conquest in which they
dethroned Atletico Madrid after a very sloppy start to the 2014/2015 campaign. A
mid-season rise in form saw Messi, Suarez & Neymar form what could perhaps be
the deadliest attacking combinations in 2015 world football with:
· > Suarez banging 24 Goals
& grabbing 23 assists,
· > Messi netted 54 times, assisting
27 times in all competition
· > Brazilian wonder boy,
Neymar added to the already impressive combination with 37 strikes and 70
assists in all completion
Which then means the Barca attacking trinity
splits amongst them 115 goals in all competitions so far this campaign whilst
assisting a massive 120 times.
Juventus are also not to be underestimated in
their quest for European triumph, a success that has eluded them for some years
now, as their legendary trio of Gianluingi Buffon, Andre Barzagli and Andre
Pirlo make what could potentially be “an emotional return” to the venue of
their 2006 FIFA World Cup triumph in Berlin, Germany. The Italian devotees will
certainly be hoping that Alvaro Morata will once again step up and sink his
fellow countrymen like he did in the semi-finals when he sent his former
employers, Real Madrid, packing which resulted in the Allegri led Juve emulating
the Old lady’s class of 2003. The Football Gods really smiled on Juventus so
far in their domestic and Champions League campaigns and it was apparent in the
semi-final against Real when Ronaldo converted from the spot kick to put Real
level on aggregate but ahead on away goal advantage which many thought it has
sealed their fate. It was Allegri’s diligence in keeping the 4-3-1-2 formation that
has to be praised because it demonstrated their attacking intend and desire to
score rather than protecting their advantage.
Besides the fact that they play and blend
well as a team, Juve also boost the individual Brilliance of
· > Carlos Tavez, who has scored
29 times with 8 assists,
· > Alvaro Morata 14 goals &
5 assist
· > Talisman Paul Pogba
has netted 10 times & assisted 7 times in all competition this campaign
These two European Giants have gone head to
head 8 times with both sides walking away victorious twice, drawing twice and
all losing twice, this certainly make for a very interesting showdown as no one
seems to have the upper hand with regard to H2H records, however it can prove
to be a costly mistake for the Italians to attempt trademark play by trying to
restrain Barca and hope to catch them in transition, though it worked against
La Liga giants Real Madrid, Barcelona proved to consist of a striking force capable
of unlocking any defence. It is also worth noting that this tie present both
sides with a chance for a treble.
Potential Impact men and game changers!
Juventus
Buffon – The Veteran keeper is having a tremendous season and pulled a
vintage display against Real Madrid in the semi-finals to keep Juve in the tie.
·
Pirlo – Another legend in Pirlo, though wasn’t at his best against Real
Madrid, his experience in high level matches together with superb positional
intelligence sets him apart and he could prove to be vital in the Final.
·
Paul Pogba – Perhaps one of the most talented footballers in the world currently,
the Frenchman is a unique talent with both defensive supremacies and thrilling
creative prowess.
·
Vidal
– The Chilean gave his trademark performance against Real Madrid in the
semi-finals as he worked tirelessly to keep the ball and maintain shape in the
middle of the park.
·
Morata – The Spanish born youngster still has a lot to prove in the game and
he might as well do it during this 2014/2015 Champions league campaign after he
scored his 2 champions league goals against Real Madrid in the Semi-finals, the
ex-Madrid man certainly has a great composure even when under pressure and it
remains to be seen whether he will continue destroying his fellow countrymen in the Final.
Possible line up:
Buffon
Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra
Marchisio, Vidal, Pogba
Pirlo
Morata & Tavez
Barcelona
·
Luis Suarez – The Uruguayan striker is one of the most dangerous in the game, and he
demonstrated against Bayern in the semi-finals, he can score and create for his
teammates, he is certainly a prickle in most defenders heels.
·
Neymar –
The Brazilian is most dangerous even when having a quiet game, his exhilarating
pace, superb dribbling skills and reading of the game give him the edge against
most of his counterparts and he surely knows how to place it in the net
·
Lionel Messi – This one is the best there is, he wins you matches and subsequently championships through his talents that are close to none. With Messi on your
side, no opposition can afford to relax and let their guard down. He has the
skill, the pace, the composure, the brains and the magic.
·
Xavi –
When you want to dictate the midfield and control the tempo of the game, Xavi
is the man for the job. He lets the team play whist he safe guards everything
in midfield which then gives his teammates the confidence of expressing
themselves going forward.
·
Dani Alves – The Brazilian wingback is very competent going forward and possess
great defensive abilities, very often he knows how to find the right balance
between the two and that makes him deadly because he can get in the opposition
final third to cause trouble and still be able to track back and defend.
Possible
line up
Bravo
Alves, Pique, Mascherano,
Alba
Rakitic
, Busquets , Inesta
Neymar , Suarez,
Messi
- By
Maishe Rakgoale
