For the 19th time, Real Madrid and Juventus will face each other in a Champions League match tonight when they step out on to the pitch in Cardiff. This is the second-most played fixture in the tournament’s history, yet only the second time the two giants meet in a final.
Real Madrid, arguably the favourites, enter as the defending champions in chase of their 12th title, and the aim to become the only team to win two successive titles in the Champions League era.
Juventus, meanwhile, have lost in the final more than any other team. In eight summit clashes, the Old Lady has lost six – the most recent being in the 2015 edition when they lost 3-1 to Barcelona.
But a lot has changed, in the last 24 months, with regards to Juventus’ mindset. For starters, the way the Turin club has defended in the Champions League this season can be summed up in two words: truly Italian.
Footballing folklore has often described the Italians as the only ones who make defensive play look attractive. Just over two months back, against Barcelona, Massimiliano Allegri’s side put up a performance that saw them keep a clean sheet in both legs of the quarterfinal. It was a display that saw the two towering centre-backs, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini stand firm in their motive to quell the Barcelona attack – and do it all with great discipline and astonishing style.
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