Barcelona vs. Juventus Champions League Final Analysis, Predictions: 5 Reasons Why Barcelona is Favorite
The Champions League final is set between two extremely talented sides.
Barcelona will look to reclaim the title for the first time since 2011 while Juventus will be contesting its first final in over a decade. Which side is the favorite however?
In this article, we will make the case for Barcelona's status as the clear-cut favorite, with a latter piece looking at the flipside. So without further ado, here are reasons why Barcelona is the team to beat.
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There can be no doubt that Barcelona's trio of players is indisputably the best attack in the world. Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi are not only lethal finishers but extremely intelligent players capable of making jaw-dropping players at a moment's notice. Just watch the tic-tac-toe precision of the first Barcelona goal against Bayern Munich on Tuesday. Messi found Suarez behind the defense and then Uruguay pinned a pass onto the path of Neymar for an easy tap-in.
This trio combined has 78 goals in Spain and 25 in the Champions League. Messi of course is having a stellar year with 53 goals and 27 assists, his finest year since 2012-13 when he notched 60 goals and 16 assists.
Suarez has found life at Barcelona quite good for himself with 24 goals and 17 assists in the two major competitions while Neymar is enjoying a historic year with 38 goals and six assists.
Tactical Brilliance
Luis Enrique struggled a bit at the end of 2014 with finding his team's best form, but there can be no doubt that he has figured out how to maximize his star-laden club. He has them playing a more direct tiki-taka that speeds up the tempo of the game and forces opposition into quicker and more uncomfortable decisions.
And when his side doesn't have the ball, he knows how to get them to play a tremendous counter attack game. It was on full display against Bayern Munich in both encounters and helped the club manage the 5-3 aggregate win.
Sound defense
The defense showed some flaws against Bayern Munich, but for the most part this Barcelona club does not concede goals. Just 19 goals have been scored on Barcelona in the Spanish League; Atletico Madrid is second with 28.
The team also went through three major champions on its way to the final, only conceded a grand total of five goals in six of those games. Certainly not an easy feat.
Moreover, this team has depth on the defense with Jeremy Mathieu, Marc Bartra and even Martin Montoya waiting to fill in for any of the team's top defenders.
Possession
Juventus relies on playing with the ball at its feet but will struggle against a Barcelona side that has maintained possession 60 percent of the time in this tournament. Barcelona is by far the superior side at keeping the ball, and that alone will make Juventus more ineffective.
The Italian side can hit well on the counter, but it does not have the speed of Barcelona's side to make them pay sufficiently.
Moreover, Barcelona averages more shots on target than Juve and also concedes fewer shots per game as well.
Experience
Many players on this Barcelona outfit have won this trophy. The same cannot be said for most of Juventus' roster. Barcelona's players know what the pressure is like and should be able to harness it to their advantage.
The Entire Series Thus Far