F.C. Barcelona and Juventus F.C. will face off in the UEFA Champions League final on June 6 in Berlin.
Few are surprised Barcelona advanced past Bayern Munich to the final, given its pedigree, experience and star power. But Juventus’ unexpected semifinal win over reigning European Champion Real Madrid denied the soccer world the expected “El Clasico” final. However, the actual Barcelona-Juventus final already produces a number of intriguing storylines, which will frame conversation in the soccer world for months and years to come.
Barcelona and Juventus will assume the mantle in the long-standing rivalry between Spanish and Italian soccer, respectively. Barcelona will give Spanish clubs their 15th title in the Champions League or its precursor prior to 1992-93, the European Cup, with a victory in the final. Juventus will make it 14 for Italy’s clubs if it prevails next month.
Barcelona and Juventus, each a European soccer giant in its own right, rarely have met despite their respective histories in European soccer’s elite competitions. Juventus leads the all-time series 3-2, but the teams are tied in European Cup or Champions League play.
The teams are two of the soccer world’s best and both have a chance at winning historic league-cup-European trebles. Let’s look at some of the storylines.
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Photo via Twitter/@ChampionsLeague
