So it all come down to this. After two vastly different Champions League campaigns, Madrid’s two biggest teams line up for a shoot out at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro) which mirrors that of two years ago.
On that occasion, Diego Simeone’s side were cruelly denied in injury time, as they had been 40 years earlier against Bayern Munich. Third time lucky? For a team that only conceded 18 goals in their domestic campaign and have beaten the Dutch, Spanish and German champions to get to Milan, you wouldn’t bet against it.
But they have a formidable opponent standing in their way.
Keylor Navas has set a Champions League shut-out record in the first season in the competition, and barring any late training hiccups he’ll be the custodian charged with keeping out the twin terror of Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres.
El Nino has enjoyed something of a renaissance this year and with the speedy Raphael Varane sidelined for Los Blancos, there’s enough about Torres to give Sergio Ramos and Pepe food for thought.
Torres’ movement and finishing of late has harked back to his Liverpool days and the yearning to win this trophy for his boyhood club will ensure that he gives an extra 10% on Saturday.
Ramos and Pepe have been a brick wall in the centre for Real but it’s been clear across 2015/16 that neither like an opponent who is mobile, agile and deadly in possession. All attributes that Griezmann possesses in abundance.
The likelihood is that the Frenchman will start from a slightly deeper role than Torres, allowing the Spaniard to play on the shoulder of the last man and to create the openings for Griezmann to operate within.
Both Marcelo and Dani Carvajal like to get forward as much as possible and Real are a much better attacking threat when either provide the width for the ‘BBC.’ Carvajal is a must pick for Zinedine Zidane, his blend of physicality and athleticism ideal for just this type of assignment.
Casemiro has been the find of the season and it’s entirely noticeable that perceptions of the player have changed since he was installed by Rafael Benitez.
Under the Spaniard, he built a platform to showcase his talent, and under Zidane that has been allowed to flourish. As was shown in El Clasico earlier in the season, Real are a much more compact and disciplined side with the Brazilian in it.
His sentry just in front of the back four will allow Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to do their best work in the attacking third of the pitch, by providing able assistance to the front three.
Speaking of which, Cristiano Ronaldo has made light of a training ground collision in the earlier part of the week but it’s clear that the Portuguese isn’t at his optimum level. That could have far-reaching consequences for his team, especially when you consider that the player hasn’t really turned up for the biggest games this season.
Yes, a hat-trick against Wolfsburg was a game-changer but with respect, that quality of opposition is a sitting duck in such a pressure cooker atmosphere. In many of the other high-profile league or cup encounters, Ronaldo has been anonymous.
The donkey work has fallen to Gareth Bale and the Welshman is in the finest form coming into this one. Whether it’s Juanfran or Filipe Luis who he is up against, neither player is going to enjoy their 90 minutes. His last game at this stadium saw him score a stunning hat-trick don’t forget.
Karim Benzema’s physicality can cause problems for Diego Godin and Stefan Savic who will anchor the back four centrally, but even if all three Real attackers are on top of their game, they’ve still got to get past Jan Oblak who’s figures this season in terms of goals conceded per game are astonishing.
Arda Turan can no longer provide a spark in the Atleti midfield after his move to Barcelona, but his absence has seen the likes of Gabi and Koke come to the fore.
Both incredibly hard-working and with no or little skill, they are very definitely, players in Diego Simeone’s own image. How well Kroos and Modric can instigate proceedings will depend on how much time they are given on the ball by players who just never know when a game is lost.
Augusto Fernandez has been in sensational form since his mid-season transfer from Celta Vigo and along with the tricky Saul Niguez, Atleti have four midfielders ready and able to go to war.
It promises to be every bit as intoxicating as 2014.
Let the battle commence!
