Football. Ua presents the announcement of the final match of the Champions League between Juventus and Real.
The exhausting marathon of the Champions League tournament somehow quietly approached its decisive duel. As a year ago in the final was Real Madrid, which this time will face another European grand - Juventus. Two completely different football philosophies, two almost diametrically opposite style of play - a guarantee that the fight in Cardiff will not become boring.
Juventus - Real Saturday, 21:45, Cardiff (Wales), National Stadium, referee - Felix Brych (Germany). Live broadcast on the TV channels Football 1 and UFO TV.
If you follow the usual stereotypes, the final in Cardiff should be a confrontation with a bright attack style and careful defensive tactics. But it is not so. Real is not Monaco, imprisoned only for an attack, and one who has got used to every Italian team to consider a catenaccio adherent, let him ask how Barcelona felt in the first quarterfinal match.
Yes, the sign "Buffon vs. Cristiano Ronaldo" has the right to exist, but rather not in the sense of "defense against attack", but simply as a reference to two bright stars, legends that everyone, together with his team, deserved to win the Champions League trophy.
But if to speak in essence, then it is much more appropriate to talk about the confrontation between Zinedine Zidane and Massimiliano Allegri. What tactic will both coaches choose? How easy will it be able to change during the match, if there is a need for it? Will they be able to convey all their ideas to the charges? Again, it is worth mentioning the not quite correct stereotypes. Say, the main advantage of Zidane-coach is that he does not interfere with his stars, first of all - Cristiano Ronaldo. And at the disposal of Allegri - only chess pieces, albeit very skillful, which the sophisticated strategist and tactician moves on the field at his own discretion. The times when the beginning coach Real Madrid acted on the principle of "do no harm" have long been in the past, and Juventus, despite the fact that it looks like a well-established mechanism, is capable of any improvisation.
A big plus for both coaches and spectators is that the finalists will be represented by their strongest compositions. Real has everything in the ranks, even Dani Carvajal, who because of injury risked missing the end of the season. In Juventus, the absent from the injuries Sturaro and Piaz, as well as Rugani, whose condition causes some doubts, in any case would not have been determining factors in the main match of the season-2016/2017.
By and large, with the return of Carvajal, who clearly surpasses Danilo and Nacho in the right brow of his rivals, and can give way to some of them only on the recommendation of doctors, Zidane has only one question with the composition: who is Bale or Isko - should make up the company Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema?.
The Welshman has not played since April 23, but is now in optimal shape, but Isko, whose physical condition also has no questions, has scored five goals in his last eight games. Zidane said that both are very important for the team, both are very strong, after which he asked all "experts" not to go to him with advice about a possible choice.
Allegri in the last round of the championship of Italy against Bologna gave rest to Buffon, Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Bonucci and Manjukic, and Dani Alves gave himself a day off, having earned a disqualification. Naturally, in Cardiff all of them will be in the basis, as well as the former player of Real Khedir, just against Bologna the past break-in after an injury.
Unlike Buffon, who by all means wants to have time to complete his career to complete his collection of trophies with the missing element - the Champions Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo does not need additional rest. The Portuguese, who conducts a phenomenal season in the Champions League, literally breaks into battle in every match, although Zidane somehow mentioned that the leader of his team would be nice at least occasionally to rest.
And now a little about prosaic moments. In connection with the May 22 attack in Manchester, which killed 22 people, the capital of Wales adopted increased security measures. Fans were warned that the entrance to the stadium with backpacks and bags will be banned, and in order to be guaranteed to get on time to the stands, after having passed all control lines, it is necessary to appear at least two hours before the start of the match.
Also for the first time in the history of the Champions League final will not be held under the open sky: again for security reasons the roof of the National will be closed.
Interesting facts - The match between Juventus and Real Madrid in Cardiff will be the 19th meeting of teams in European competition. More often met only Real and Bayern - 24 times.
- Both teams have eight wins with two draws.
- Real Madrid played 14 times in the final of the Cup / Champions League and won 11 trophies. Juventus managed to win only two finals of eight attempts.
- On the account of Real Madrid 499 goals scored for the history of the championship tournament.
- Juventus - the only team that this season has not experienced the bitterness of defeats in the Champions League - 9 wins and 3 draws.
- Juventus missed in the twelve matches of the Champions League only three goals. With the current format, only Arsenal (2005/2006) managed to reach the final with a smaller number - 2.
- Real Madrid scored in all the matches of the Champions League in this season (32 goals), but only once was able to keep his goal dry - in the home semi-final against Atletico - 3: 0.
- If Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (39 years and 4 months) will play, he will be third in the list of the most senior participants in the Cup / Champions League finals after his colleagues Dino Zoffa (1983, 41 and 2 months) and Edwin van der Sar (2011 Year, 40 years and 6 months).
- This season is the most effective in the history of the Champions League in the current format: in 124 matches 375 goals scored - an average of 3.02 per game. Even if not a single goal is scored in the final, the average performance will still be higher than in the 2012/2013 season, when in 125 matches 368 goals were scored - 2.94 on average.
Approximate compositions Juventus: Buffon - Barzali, Bonucci, Chiellini, Alex Sandro - Khedira, Pyanich - Dani Alves, Dibala, Mandzhukich - Higuain.
Real: Navas - Carvajal, Ramos, Varan, Marcelo - Modric, Kazemiro, Kroos - Isco - Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Injured: Sturaro, Piazza (both Juventus).
In doubt: Rugani (Juventus).
Words Massimiliano Allegri, the coach of Juventus:.
"We worked hard for a year for this match. All our victories and already won trophies were nothing more than a training session before the Champions League final. It will be just one match, one attempt without a chance to fix everything in the return match. Therefore, it is extremely important to carefully develop a game plan and perform it in all its details. If we can do it - we will have a chance to win. At the same time it is very important to do without unnecessary nervous tension, you just have to believe in yourself and play your game. In 2015, perhaps, we were underestimated by an underestimation of our own forces. We deservedly reached the final, but did not even hope to win. Now everything is different ".
Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid coach:.
"We did a lot of work this season and achieved good results: won the championship of Spain, reached the final of the Champions League. It remains to take one more step and win in Cardiff. We are ready to win, but we can lose.
The same goes for Juventus. This will be a confrontation of these giants, a European classic, from which fans are waiting for a spectacular spectacle. As always we are considered favorites, but in my opinion the chances are absolutely equal. I do not agree with those who are sure that Juventus will choose the tactics of the famous Italian catenaccio for the match. It seems to me that in the finals there will be open football, in which every possible ".
Forecast 1: 0.