5 reasons why we would love a Real Madrid-Barcelona UEFA Champions League final

Barcelona completed a stunning comeback against PSG last night to book their place in the Champions League last 8. Goals from Suarez, Messi, Neymar and Sergi Roberto helped Barcelona achieve the impossible and create history.

While the Catalan giants required last minute heroics to go through, their arch-rivals Real Madrid were pretty comfortable against Napoli as they qualified 6-2 on aggregate. The defending champions always seem to perform at their best in the Champions League and they will be looking to become the first team to defend their European crown in the Champions League era.

With both the Spanish giants making it through to the last 8, fans can start hoping for an El Clasico final. Without much ado, let us take a look at 5 reasons why we would love a Real Madrid-Barcelona Champions League final:

#5 Drama and fights

Barcelona vs Real Madrid is always a spectacle. El Clasico is full of drama and fights and that is why we as fans love watching Spain’s two greatest teams go hammer and tongs. Throw in the occasion of a Champions League final and sparks are bound to fly.

While it is always a pleasure to watch two top teams battle for the top prize, the drama is at a whole different level when rivals like Real Madrid and Barcelona take the field. With characters like Ramos, Pique, Neymar, Pepe and Busquets on either side, the slightest incident could cause mayhem.

A football match in the end is meant to entertain spectators and the tension and drama involved in an El Clasico easily trumps any other possible Champions League final.

#4 Gareth Bale vs Neymar Jr.

Gareth Bale and Neymar have been widely tipped as future Ballon d’Or winners and both of them have already on many occasions shown their class and worth to their respective sides.

The speedy Welshman won Madridistas’ hearts when he scored an unbelievable goal against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final (in his debut season) and he has been at the forefront of Madrid’s two Champions League titles in the last 3 years. Still only 27, Bale has been tipped by many to take over from Ronaldo and become Madrid’s main man.

On the other hand, Neymar who initially struggled to make much of an impact at Barcelona has well and truly settled into his role as one of Barcelona’s main men. Capable of flat footing defenders with ridiculous ease, the 25-year-old looks well worth all the legal hassle Barcelona went through to get him.

While Bale’s season has been blighted by injuries, Neymar after an indifferent start has really grown into his game from 2017. The architect of Barcelona’s incredible comeback against PSG, Neymar is slowly but surely stepping into Lionel Messi’s shoes as Barcelona’s main man.

With both Neymar and Bale on the precipice of greatness, it will be interesting to see how football's golden boys cope with the pressure and against each other in a stage as big as the Champions League final.

#3 Zinedine Zidane vs Luis Enrique – one last time

Luis Enrique shocked the footballing world when he announced his decision to step down as Barcelona manager after the 6-1 victory against Sporting Gijon. Undoubtedly one of the greatest Barcelona managers of all time, the Asturian has incredibly won 8 out of the 10 trophies he has competed so far and he will be keen to finish on a winning note.

With the La Liga title race set to go down to the wire, a Champions League final will definitely add an extra dimension to the Clasico rivalry under Enrique and Zidane. Not the best of friends during their playing days, both of them will be keen to get the better of the other.

Also, if Real Madrid and Barcelona do meet in the final, Zidane’s and Enrique's legacy could well be defined by a single match. Knowing trigger happy Florentino Perez, Zidane’s position as manager could be in danger if they fail to beat their arch rivals on the biggest stage.

#2 The biggest match on the biggest stage

The El Clasico is so much more than just a match. It is an occasion by itself, it is the most awaited match for Spanish fans and generally football fans all over the world. The game not only involves two excellent football teams, it also holds a lot of political significance as well.

Madrid and Barcelona are the two largest cities in Spain and the teams Real Madrid and Barcelona are often seen representing Spanish nationalism and Catalan nationalism respectively. Considered to be one of the biggest rivalries in world sport, the El Clasico is arguably the biggest match in world football.

Both teams are blessed with great players, immense fan following, and they are the 2 most valuable football clubs in the world. Take a match charged with so much rivalry, passion and political undertones and put them on a stage like the Champions League final, and you are bound to get a spectacle which will last for a long time in the minds of football fans.

#1 Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? The debate as to who the greatest footballer of this generation is has been going on for a long time now. Both Messi and Ronaldo are undoubtedly two of the greatest footballers to ever play the game and their performances in El Clasico are often dissected by fans in great detail.

While Messi has won five Ballon d’Ors in his career, Ronaldo with a Ballon d’Or win this year has now won 4 and is determined to equal his great rival. Almost intense as the El Clasico rivalry itself, the battle for supremacy between Ronaldo and Messi in the Champions League final will definitely be worth watching.

Will Lionel Messi’s dribbles, close control, excellent free kick abilities triumph or will Cristiano Ronaldo’s thumping headers, scintillating long-range shots and lightning pace come out on top? Messi vs Ronaldo in the Champions League final will definitely make it the biggest match in the history of club football.