Juventus Real Madrid match preview
Juventus Real Madrid match preview
* Juventus and Real Madrid meet in Cardiff final at 20:45CET on Saturday
* Madrid aiming to become first team to retain UEFA Champions League
* Madrid looking to win third title in four years
* Juventus aiming for third European title, first since 1996
* Bianconeri have lost their last four UEFA Champions League finals
This is the 19th encounter between Juventus and Real Madrid – all in the European Cup/Champions League, making this the second-most played fixture in the history of Europe’s premier club competition after Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (24).
The head-to-head record between Juventus and Real Madrid is perfectly balanced, with eight wins each and two draws. However, their only meeting in the final saw Real Madrid win 1-0 in 1998 thanks to a Pedrag Mijatovic goal.
Real Madrid have reached the European Cup/Champions League final for the 15th time, four more than any other club (AC Milan, 11). They’ve won 11 of the previous 14, a 79% success rate.
This is Real Madrid’s third European Cup/Champions League final in four seasons, a feat they hadn’t accomplished since the early days of the competition (5 in a row from 1956 to 1960).
Real Madrid will attempt to become the first team since AC Milan (1989, 1990) to win back-to-back European Cup/Champions League trophies.
Juventus are the only unbeaten team in this season’s Champions League (W9 D3).
Gonzalo Higuain scored two goals in the first leg, as many as in his 24 previous Champions League knockout games. With five goals this season, it’s already the most prolific campaign of his career in the competition.
Dani Alves has scored more goals (10) and delivered more assists (25) than any other full-back in the Champions League since his debut in 2007/08.