Real Madrid v Juventus – The UEFA Champions League final preview

By: Timothy Dehinbo

The 2016/17 UEFA Champions League final pits the season’s top scorers, holders Real MadridCF, against a Juventus side who have conceded
just three goals en route to Cardiff.

It is also a repeat of the 1998 UEFA Champions League final in Amsterdam, with Predrag Mijatović scoring the only goal in the 66th minute to give the Los blanços their 7th title.

Both clubs have plenty of recent final experience to draw from. Defending champions Madrid – bidding to become the first team to retain the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era – are in a third final in four years, having beaten city rivals Club Atlético de Madrid in both 2014 and 2016; Juventus, meanwhile, lost to FC Barcelona in the 2015 showpiece.

Juve have won the trophy twice, in 1985 and 1996, but have lost in the final six times – more
than any other club.

Juventus have won nine and drawn three of their 12 games in this season’s competition, and are seeking to become the first team to lift the trophy unbeaten since Manchester United FC in 2007/08. United were the sixth club to win the UEFA Champions League without losing a match.

Madrid have won all five of their UEFA Champions League finals, a record number of wins, while Juve have lost the fixture more times than any other club – four. Indeed, their only victory was on penalties – against AFC Ajax in
1996.

Madrid want to become the first side to make a successful UEFA Champions League title defence. They are the fifth reigning champions to return to the final the following season, the most recent being Manchester United in 2009.

With so much at stake in this game, Zidane is also attempting to become the first coach to win the UEFA Champions League two years running, while Sergio Ramos is seeking to become the first captain to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy in consecutive seasons.

Ronaldo (2008, 2014) and Ramos (2014, 2016) could become the first players to score in three UEFA Champions League finals. Ronaldo has hit the target in all four of his appearances against Juventus for Real Madrid – five goals in all.

Juventus have played 53 games against Spanish clubs in UEFA competition, with the record W19 D14 L20 F61 A55, while Madrid record against Italian clubs is P69 W33 D11 L25 F104 A87.

Juventus’ Dani Alves is set for his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance, the 31st player to reach the milestone. Ramos and Buffon also brought up their centuries this season.

Juventus are bidding to become the ninth team to win the treble having wrapped up their third successive league-and-cup double (all under
coach Allegri).

All six of Juve’s defeats this term have come away from home. Real Madrid Ronaldo has registered ten UEFA Champions League goals this season, just one less than leading scorer Lionel Messi. The Portuguese is looking to finish top of the pile for the fifth campaign running.

Madrid have scored in a record 64 consecutive games in all competitions.
Ronaldo has bagged 14 goals in his last nine matches. Twenty-two of Madrid’s 106 Liga goals this teem came from set pieces (not including
penalties).

Ahead tonigh’s final, managers of both team have spoken. Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus coach How we’re going to tackle tomorrow’s game is with total tranquility and serenity.

We’ve worked all year for this. It won’t be easy because Real Madrid are the defending champions, but we know what we’ve built over the season and
we’ll try to give that little bit more than Real Madrid.

We have worked for a whole year. All the trophies, and all the victories we’ve had this year, have been a sort of training for tomorrow.

We have to win. It’s one game; you need to analyse the game and see when to attack, when to defend and, if we’re able to do that, we have
a chance.

But we need to feel relaxed and confident that we’re able to win the trophy. In 2015 we got to the final and deserved to, but at the same time perhaps we were not really strongly motived – maybe we didn’t feel confident enough after struggling for a few years in the Champions League. We didn’t get to the
final by chance, but we didn’t expect to win.

This year is different. Last year we had a good season in the Champions League and lost to Bayern in the last minute. We’ve been growing
gradually. Now it’s completely different.

Zinédine Zidane, Real Madrid coach We’ve done a lot of work all season, to win the Liga and to get to this final. What’s most important is that we’re all prepared, and we are. In football, you have to give it your all.

I’ve lost many matches, so I know it’s possible to lose. It’s the same for Juventus. We’re going to try to play our game; we know we’re going to
play against a great team. What everyone who likes football wants to see is to see a great final.

We know all about pressure at Real Madrid. We’re always favourites, but in reality in a final there are no favourites. We’re not favourites,
nor are Juventus. It’s 50-50.

But we’re in the final again, and everything is possible. I expect an open game on both sides. I’ve lived and been at Juventus, in Italy there’s the famous
catenaccio, but Juve don’t just have that. I expect an open game. Cristiano is a good person, because he’s worried; he worries about the others. What’s
really important is what he does professionally.

He always wants more. Even if it’s a training session, he wants to win there as well. What this gives the team is that he always wants to win. He has something inside; he’s a born leader, especially on the pitch.

We’re not going to change anything at all. We’re going to talk about the game, but that’s all.

Nothing changes; nothing should change. We’re going to do things the way we always have done, and we’re going to see.

This final, promises to be fun and breath taking with so much at stake. A 90 minutes final should do it anyways.