Champions League Final Pits Juventus and Real Madrid Head to Head

Two powerhouses collide Saturday as Juventus (Italy) and Real Madrid (Spain) compete in the Champions League Final. The winner not only captures the coveted trophy, but assert their club as the best in Europe.

Cardiff, Wales is the city hosting for the 2017 Champions League Final. National Stadium of Wales will be the backdrop in what should be a spectacular final between Juventus and Real Madrid. Fans from the respective clubs will wave flags and cheer until the final whistle. One side will be in jubilation while the other will be in anguish from defeat.

Real Madrid is the defending champion after defeating rival Atletico Madrid last year on penalty kicks. Real looks to defend the title and repeat as champions. The last time a club went back-to-back was in 1989 and 1990, achieved by AC Milan.

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Led by Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid has been a formidable force in La Liga and Europe. Since arriving in 2010 from Manchester United, Ronaldo has been shattering the record books. He currently has 10 goals in all Champions League fixtures this tournament and hopes to add more.

Ronaldo is not the only star in Spain, as rival Barcelona features Lionel Messi, perhaps the greatest player to play in this generation. The competitors have gone back in forth in La Liga and Champions League in attempts to outclass the other.

This season, Ronaldo got the better of Messi as Real captured the La Liga title and a trip to the Champions League Final. Messi got some consolation by leading La Liga with 37 goals and winning the Copa Del Rey, Spain’s domestic tournament.

Ronaldo is not the only driving force on Real. Gareth Bale will be motivated to play well returning to Wales. The Welsh striker led a storybook run by Wales in the 2016 UEFA Euro Championships, capturing the hearts of supporters and opposing fans. When first arriving in Madrid, the hope was for chemistry with Ronaldo though the impact is underwhelming.

Jul 26, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; Real Madrid middle fielder Gareth Bale (11) shoots for a score during the first half against Inter Milan in the first round of the Guinness International Champions Cup at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports /

French national Kareem Benzema can also make an impact on the scoresheet. With the brilliance of Ronaldo, defenders focus too much on the star leaving his teammates open to striking. Benzema has benefitted from mistakes and taken advantage.

A supporting cast of midfielders James Rodriguez, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic will certainly look to keep the ball and set up chances inside the offensive zone. Stacked in all areas, Real will give the Juventus’ defense plenty of problems should the defending champions control time of possession.

Juventus may be the underdog in this final but have a chance at capturing the treble, a rare feat in soccer. The Italian juggernauts won their domestic league and domestic tournament (Serie A and Coppa Italia). Internazionale was the last Italian side to capture the treble in 2010 under current Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.

Also known as The Old Lady, Juventus have been the gold standard in Italy since the 2011-12 campaign. Antonio Conte began Juventus’ rise that year as the team went unbeaten throughout the Serie A campaign. Conte departed to coach the Italian National team in 2016 and is now the current boss at English side Chelsea.

Former manager Massimiliano Allegri of AC Milan took over after Conte’s departure and continued the success. Juventus made an appearance in the 2015 Champions League Final but fell to Barcelona. Injuries and yellow card accumulation kept important players from making an impact. Still, the Italian side continues to dominate and have captured six straight Serie A titles.

Recent success did not come right away and almost may not have happened at all. In 2006, Juventus was one of five clubs linked to a football scandal in Italy. The scandal accused teams of match-fixing which levied a massive blow to Juventus. For the first time in their history, Juventus was relegated to Serie B and stripped of their titles from 2005 and 2006.

A few players left Juventus after the demotion, but most of the team remained. Many felt the penalty was cruel and wanted to get Juventus back to the top division. Though the team started Serie B with a point deficit, Juventus won the league and moved back to Serie A.

Gianluigi Buffon is the driving force of Juventus. The goalkeeper continues to get better as he ages. He operates the point of attack for Juventus and helps his defenders set up to thwart any shot coming his way. Buffon has captured plenty of titles including the World Cup in 2006 for The Azzurri. The Champions League trophy has eluded him, and he wants to win not only for his club but for the loyal supporters of Juventus.

For Juventus, the defense must be wary of Real Madrid’s defender Sergio Ramos. He tends to strike late in matches and will be Real’s X-factor into the game. In 2014, Ramos buried a header late to send the game into extra time of the Champions League Final. Real ended up beating Atletico Madrid in the extra time.

After Paul Pogba decided to leave for Manchester United, a void opened for offensive production. Pogba’s departure ended up benefitting Juventus with the emergence of Paulo Dybala at the forward position. He had 11 goals in Serie A, and four goals in Champions League matches. Dybala could indeed prove pivotal for Juventus to pull off the upset.

The counter-attack is Juventus’ moment to take control of the game. Gonzalo Higuain has been on the front-end of the attack all season and hoped to come up big. But the Argentinian has struggled to show up on the big stage. Evidence is from in the 2014 World Cup Final and 2016 Copa America Final. Like his teammate, Messi, the stars did not show up for Argentina. Marko Pjaca or Claudio Marchisio may have to step up.

Both sides met in the Champions League Final back in 1998 with Real winning the game. The two previously met in the 2015 Champions League semifinals with Juventus advancing to the final. Real Madrid is looking for their 12th title and Juventus is looking for their third title.

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Founded in 1955 and originally known as the European Cup, the UEFA Champions League is an annual tournament where the top European soccer clubs compete for European dominance. Just as the final concludes, qualifying begins shortly after in July with qualifying rounds. 32 teams are drawn into eight groups comprised of four teams. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage and where the final two teams meet in the final.

History is at stake for both clubs. Juventus and Real Madrid collide in Cardiff to claim themselves as kings of Europe. Plenty of action will be on hand to fans and viewers on television at the ends of their seats. The game could come down to one moment of brilliance. Let’s hope the game does not get decided on penalty kicks which always seems to damper a soccer match.

Prediction: Juventus defeats Real Madrid 2-1 to capture the Champions League.

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