Barcelona and Juventus have arguably been the two most in-form teams throughout the 2014-15 campaign, and it’s only fitting the two football giants will face off in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday in Berlin.

For the Catalans, European glory has become almost routine. The Blaugrana have won the tournament three times in the last decade, most recently in 2011.

Juventus’ European pedigree is less impressive, and the club had to work hard to bounce back from the Calciopoli scandal that saw the Bianconeri relegated to Serie B. After four consecutive Italian titles and a spot in the Champions League final, it’s safe to say the Old Lady is back.

Let’s have a look at the form guide for both teams as we try and break down Saturday’s big match.

 

Juventus

Juventus’ last loss came on March 26, when they were beaten 2-1 by city rivals Torino. Since then, the Italians have won six and drawn three, but they’ve played a good chunk of those matches without several key players.

The Bianconeri locked the Serie A title up weeks ago and fielded a number of backups to rest their starters, but they still managed to beat Lazio, Napoli and Inter Milan. It’s a testament to the incredible depth Massimiliano Allegri’s squad boasts.

Said depth will be tested on Saturday as veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini will not be making an appearance, per the Champions League’s official Twitter account:

Chiellini has had an up-and-down season for Juventus, but he remains the club’s most decorated defender. Andrea Barzagli will likely replace him alongside Leonardo Bonucci, and while the veteran is a fantastic defender in his own right, injury concerns throughout the season mean he isn’t in top form.

In midfield, Juventus’ depth shines brightest. Andrea Pirlo and Xavi have been exchanging compliments all week, per Juventus’ official Twitter account, and it’s easy to see why:

Pirlo has played in more Champions League finals than most of his team-mates combined, but he might not even be in the starting XI on Saturday. Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba are locks to start, and Roberto Pereyra is making a strong case to be the fourth man on the pitch over Pirlo. Stefano Sturaro provides even more depth.

Up front, Carlos Tevez had arguably his finest season to date, and his incredible work rate has rubbed off on Alvaro Morata, who will likely start ahead of Fernando Llorente. Overall, it’s a very deep squad, as explained by Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe:

Juventus are in a winning mood and will start the final with a well-rested squad. Whether that will be enough to beat Barcelona is a whole other matter.

 

Barcelona

Like Juventus, Barcelona have been winning most of their matches of late, with their last loss coming against Bayern Munich last month. Since then, the Blaugrana have won two and drawn one.

The Catalans haven’t had the luxury of resting players, having to battle Real Madrid for La Liga title until Matchday 37. Luis Enrique also decided to field his strongest XI in the final of the Copa del Rey, whereas Juventus won the Coppa Italia without Gianluigi Buffon or Morata.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has been Barcelona’s preferred goalkeeper in the Champions League, and he has nothing but respect for his colleague on the other side of the pitch, per Football Italia:

Dani Alves and Gerard Pique both had tremendous bounce-back seasons in 2014-15, and as a result, Barcelona’s defence looks far better than most would have expected before the campaign started. Jordi Alba and Javier Mascherano will join the duo along the back four.

Ivan Rakitic may have just been the best signing of the summer, giving the Catalans a physical presence in midfield that will be sorely needed against Juventus’ army of gladiators. Sergio Busquets remains one of the world’s best holding midfielders, and Andres Iniesta is a legend on the level of Pirlo.

But it’s up front where the real magic happens. Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez combine to form the strongest attacking trio in the game today, and they have the potential to one day be mentioned among other great trios, like Real’s famed group of Ferenc Puskas, Alfredo Di Stefano and Francisco Gento.

Before that day comes, they’ll have to perform on the biggest stage first, and football writer Christian Nyari thinks Juventus will give them their toughest challenge yet:

Like Juventus, Barcelona are on course for a historic treble, and in the case of the Catalans, they would be the first team to manage that feat twice, per Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe:

As far as form goes, you can’t really knock either side. Both on the domestic and European stage, Juventus and Barcelona have been dominant.

 

Keys to the Game

Juventus: Win the Midfield Battle

With Tevez and Morata tracking back better than any attacking duo on the planet, Juventus should have the advantage in midfield in terms of sheer numbers. By being physical with Rakitic and Iniesta, the Bianconeri could cut off the attacking trio, thus negating Barcelona’s biggest strength.

The downside to such numbers in midfield is that there will be spaces in other areas of the pitch. If Juventus lose the battle in midfield, they won’t be in position to stop Barcelona’s direct runners.

 

Barcelona: Work the Ball Wide

Just ask Borussia Dortmund how dangerous Juventus can be when you try and work the ball through the middle. The Bianconeri completely shut down Dortmund and hit them hard on the counter at Signal Iduna Park, undoubtedly their best Champions League performance of the season.

Suarez, Neymar and Messi have all shown the ability to attack teams from the wing, and Juventus will not employ the high defensive line that saw Bayern get ravaged by the Blaugrana. Using the width of the pitch will be Barcelona’s best chance of grabbing the win.

 

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