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FC Barcelona brushed aside Juventus 3-1 as they romped their way to a treble by winning the Champions League final in Berlin. Luis Enrique led Barca to their fifth European crown in just his debut season as the famed trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar shone once again as they toyed with a hapless Juve side.
Goals from Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar saw off the Serie A champions’ challenge in a thrilling night at the Olympiastadion in Berlin even though Alvaro Morata got an early equalizer for Juve in the early stages of the second half. Here are the five talking points from a thrilling finale.
Match report and highlights: Barcelona defeat Juventus 3-1 to win Champions League and clinch 2nd treble
5) Juventus’ treble dreams come crashing down
After comprehensively winning the Coppa Italia and Serie A titles, Juventus dared to dream about European glory. It has been 12 barren years in Turin. The last time they reached the final of the Champions League, Paul Pogba was just a 10-year-old kid from France.
Tonight they returned to the big stage after a long wait, alas they didn’t have a happy ending to their fairy tale. Massimilano Allegri and his men were thoroughly outclassed by their Catalan counterparts in this final. They were toyed around the pitch for major parts of the game, except for a brief 20-minute spell in the opening stages of the second half where Juve showed their true worth.
They showed flashes of their Italian determination coupled with zeal to seize their moment. Although that spell yielded a goal it didn’t help the Bianconeri in any way as they were mostly chasing the game. And moreover, they never were the favourites to win this match but they can hold their heads high after a spirited display.
4) Contrasting tales of two legends – Xavi and Pirlo
Xavi and Andrea Pirlo are two of the finest midfielders of this generation. Both have had a successful career with their respective clubs and country. But tonight one of them had to bear the brunt of fate.
Xavi leaves his beloved Barca on a high with yet another treble after winning a treble in 2007 under Pep Guardiola. He replaced his fellow La Masia graduate Andres Iniesta to lead Barca in the final stages towards the glory. It was a dream farewell for one of the most decorated midfielders of all time, who bids everyone adieu to begin his new journey in Qatar.
On the other hand, Pirlo was reduced to tears after the excruciating defeat at the Olympic Stadium. He had announced just days before the final that he would be moving to MLS side New York City and also how he wished to leave Juve on a high with a historic treble. Destiny had other plans for this maestro as he had to witness his side being shredded apart by sublime Barcelona side.
The final was a poetic justice in a manner which defined the careers of these two legends.
3) Luis Suarez caps off a prolific season with a crucial goal
Luis Suarez is a character par obnoxious. His personality may irritate many but no one can question the footballing brilliance he possesses. On the big night, he proved his calibre with a sublime performance and capped it with a goal. The Uruguayan was one of the lynchpins of the attacking force in this Barca side. He not only set up a strong platform for his partners in crime but also helped his midfielders by dropping in deep to negate the threat and the pulse of Juventus midfield, Andrea Pirlo.
He chased Pirlo like a shadow and never gave him any breathing space and time on the ball. This was probably his best performance in a Barcelona shirt. Los Pisteleros proved why he was right in shunning the red of Liverpool for La Blaugrana of Barcelona.
2) Luis Enrique does a Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola revolutionized the world of football with his technical tiki-taka brand of football in 2007. Turn to 2015, Guardiola’s former teammate Luis Enrique emulates him by winning the treble with his more direct and brutal style of football.
Enrique has had an interesting season, a season full of drama and magic. From being favourite to being sacked to being heralded as the most iconic coach in Barcelona’s history, he has come a long way. He had his rumoured rift with his superstar Lionel Messi and was seen as a villain in Catalonia.
But with all this negativity, he marvellously turned his season around with steely determination. He did the unthinkable by winning a treble and especially the Champions League. Whether he has the same iconic status as the current Bayern Munich boss remains to be seen. But with such a start, we can be rest assured that there is going to be another innings of Barcelona’s dominance in European football under Enrique.
1) Neymar reserves his best for the final
There was a sharp sense of scepticism in world football when Barcelona paid big money for a 20-year-old Brazilian. Neymar arrived in Catalonia with an aura which was reminiscent of past Barca greats like Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Although he did possess an insurmountable amount of talent like his fellow countrymen, he was yet to prove his talent to the world, especially on the big stage.
Although he had a goal ruled out for a handball, he still put on a fantastic display and the icing on the cake was Barcelona's third goal to put the match out of reach. By his own admission, it was the biggest night of his life and he surely did not disappoint anyone. He bamboozled Juve’s defence with his pace, guile and trickery on the left flank.
At just 23 years, he is surely the brightest talent in world football at the moment. Moreover, he has already testified himself as the true heir to Lionel Messi’s legacy at Barcelona, if and when the wily Argentine enters into the twilight of his career (speculatively!) in the coming years.
