This season’s Champions League reaches its climax in Berlin as Barcelona takes on Juventus in the 2015 final.
Both sides overcame tough semi-finals to get here and both managers will be looking to select the best XI to take their clubs all the way and win old “Big Ears”.
Here is how both sides will be looking to line up.
FC Barcelona
Marc-Andre ter Stegen – It would be a dream come true for the young German to win the Champions League final in his first season as a Barcelona player. He is expected to start by virtue of being Barcelona’s cup goalkeeper.
Dani Alves – This could be Alves’ last game for Barcelona. If things turn out that way, he will be looking to bow out with his third Champions League title with the club.
Gerard Pique – This season has been something of a renaissance for Pique as he bounced back from two poor seasons.
Javier Mascherano – After his World Cup heroics for Argentina where he failed to add the World Cup to his glistening trophy collection, the former West Ham man will be looking to add another Champions League to his cabinet as he is expected to start next to Pique.
Jordi Alba – Expected to start in his first Champions League final. He has been Mr. Reliable for Barca.
Sergio Busquets – Another member of the Barcelona squad looking to win their third Champions League medal. Busquest is central to everything Barcelona does and a good performance from him behind their deadly strike force is imperative.
Andres Iniesta – Iniesta is no stranger to Champions League finals and will be aiming to win his fourth Champions League medal, this time as captain.
Ivan Rakitic – Likely to start his first final ahead of the outgoing Xavi, his creativity, energy and hardworking ability is necessary in what is expected to be a high-intensity match.
Lionel Messi – The best player arguably to ever play the game, his 10 goals in 12 Champions League games, including THAT goal against Bayern in which he turned Jerome Boateng, has been instrumental to Barcelona’s run to the final. If the Catalans are to win it, you suspect that Messi will be a big factor in any goals scored.
Luis Suarez – A year after his £75m move from Liverpool and his biting storm in the World Cup, Suarez looks to have settled down, forming a deadly strike trio with Messi and Neymar. This is his first Champions League final.
Neymar – His first season may have been slightly underwhelming, especially when you consider his hefty price tag. Fifteen goals in all competitions is not bad for a winger but for his price, you would want more. And boy, did he deliver more. Thirty-eight goals this season, including nine from 11 European games, including goals against PSG in the quarterfinals and Bayern in the semi-finals.
Juventus
Gianluigi Buffon – The legendary keeper has won everything, from Serie B to the World Cup. The Champions League has eluded him thus far and at the age of 37, you sense time is ticking. He will be desperate to win it tomorrow.
Stephan Lichtsteiner – He has been at Juventus for four years and has won every domestic honour available. He is expected to start tomorrow.
Leonardo Bonucci – He has started every Champions League match for Juventus this campaign but in the final he will not be next to his usual defensive partner. Giorgio Chiellini has been ruled out of the final.
Martin Caceres – He has only started two Champions League games all season but Caceres will be expected to come in and replace Chiellini in the final.
Patrice Evra – Having won a Champions League with Manchester United, he could have won two more had it not been for tomorrow’s opponents, Barcelona. Evra will be sick of the sight of seeing Barcelona win the trophy after beating his team and will want to win it with Juventus.
Andrea Pirlo – The 2015 Champions League final could be his last match for Juve. He has been linked with a move to New York City FC and at the age of 36, he will want to bow out with his third Champions League medal.
Paul Pogba – At the age of 22, and given his outstanding ability and potential, this may be the first Champions League final of many for the Frenchman. This could also be his last game for Juventus if rumours of a £60m move are true.
Arturo Vidal – Like Lichtsteiner, Vidal has been at Juventus since 2011 and has won every domestic honour possible. He will hope to add a European trophy to his collection.
Claudio Marchisio – Marchisio has been at Juventus for his whole career. He is expected to start at central attacking midfield tomorrow and will hope to influence proceedings as he chases his first European trophy.
Carlos Tevez – He has becoming Juventus’ talisman since his move from Manchester City and his eight European goals have been a key factor in Juve’s run to the final. He will be hoping to add another Champions League trophy to his collection having, won it in 2008.
Alvaro Morata – After winning the Champions League with Real Madrid last season, he would have been delighted to score the pivotal goal as his side won its semi-final against the Spanish giants. Morata will be looking to contribute to a Juventus win.
Key match-ups
Lionel Messi vs Patrice Evra
While some may argue that no one can stop Messi, it will be Patrice Evra who is faced with the prospect of marking the mercurial Argentinian. In truth, it will take a cohesive defensive effort to assist Evra in his marking of Messi. It will not be easy for the aging Frenchman as at 33 years of age – his body may not be able to cope with Messi’s speed, agility and outstanding balance. You suspect it will be a long night for the former United player.
Andrea Pirlo vs Ivan Rakitic
For anyone who has watched Pirlo over the past few years, you would have realised his game is now suited for his age. He sits deep and makes use of his unrivaled passing ability to build attacks from the back. His demolition of the England national team in the 2012 Euros is probably one of the best performances by a deep-lying playmaker in modern history. The tactic many teams have tried to use to limit Pirlo’s influence is to use an energetic man-marker to stop the play going through him. Ivan Rakitic may be that man to play the role in the final as the clog in the flow of play to the veteran Italian.
Carlos Tevez vs Javier Mascherano
This two Argentinians have history, and lots of it. They both signed for West Ham in 2006 and nine years later, they face each other in the 2015 Champions League final in Berlin. Both careers have gone from strength to strength since they left East London. Tevez moved to Manchester United before joining rivals City in a bitter move and is now at Juventus, picking up 11 trophies along the way. Mascherano went the other way and joined United’s fierce rivals Liverpool, where he and his side to the 2007 Champions League final. He joined Barcelona in 2010 and won a staggering 10 trophies in five years under Pep Guardiola and now Luis Erique.
“Tevez is one of the greatest players I’ve played with. He’s very important for Juve, we’ll have to be very careful with him. It is bound to be a good battle,” Mascherano recently said.
Luis Suarez vs Bonucci/Caceres
While Suarez is expected to start in the middle, he will most certainly rotate with Neymar and Messi as they look to cause Juventus problems with their fluid movement and interchanging. Suarez is a great finisher and his overall play is exceptional, but his most vital trait is that he is a tormenter. He does not give defenders a minute’s peace and he runs and runs and runs. Defenders are sick of the sight of him before the match even reaches half time and Bonucci and Caceres will be no different. While Suarez was expected to face off against Chiellini – the man he bit at the 2014 World Cup – he will instead be up against his Uruguayan teammate Caceres. Juventus will hope that Caceres can use his knowledge of facing Suarez in training to stop him. Sadly, Suarez is a player who, even if you think you know what he is going to do, you just cannot stop him.
Arturo Vidal vs Sergio Busquets
One of the top box-to-box midfielders up against one of the top defensive midfielders. Juventus will most likely sit deep and counterattack against a Barcelona side which controls possession against most teams it faces. It will be Vidal who will be expected to outsmart Busquets as he attempts to make unchecked runs into Barcelona’s box as Juventus counter-attacks. It will not be easy for the Chilean as Busquets possess a brilliant tactical brain and is perfectly positioned more often than not. It will be a fascinating battle.
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