The MSN delivered when it was needed most Barcelona ’ s much vaunted MSN weren ’ thyroxine precisely operating at dial-up speed in the first half but hush, Juventus would have been pleased to subdue a frontline that had scored 80 goals in 35 games since the turn of the year. Barcelona ’ s opening finish was a team feat – with 10 players touching the ball in the build-up – and finished off by the midfield corps with Andres Iniesta sliding a squarely ball for Ivan Rakitic. Lionel Messi and Neymar had played their parts in the build-up, and the front three were causing sporadic havoc, but this was not quite the end some had anticipated ahead of a game which promised to showcase the best front line in history.

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And when Barcelona were rocking, with Juventus abruptly connecting with all their passes and peppering Marc-Andre ter Stegen ’ s goal – equalising through Alvaro Morata – it suddenly seemed possible that no member of the MSN would score a goal in a game for the first clock since a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo at the begin of April. ominously, a five-v-three break in Barcelona ’ s favor was wasted when Suarez ’ s deafening drive was repelled by Buffon at his near post. Champions League Sanchez starts for Arsenal as they chase miracle convalescence against Bayern 07/03/2017 AT 18:49 But then the inevitable happened : barcelona scored through Suarez. Messi was the agent provocateur with a cover girl race and rapid drive which forced Buffon to spill the ball and Suarez ’ s finish up was fantastic. That made it 121 for the season for Barcelona ’ s trident and it was 122 when in injury clock time Neymar finished off the kind of counter-attack which has been a big feature of their season. The best fire always assembled ? It is hard to quibble with that judgment. Neymar, Messi, Suarez image credit : Eurosport – – – Gianluigi Buffon adorned this great occasion with a moment of real magic A brutal open enactment of Barcelona play yielded a goal after alone three minutes and on a hot, muggy night in Berlin the Catalans looked capable of anything. That they didn ’ t extend their lead before half-time was largely thank to the goalkeeping art of Buffon, at 37 the alone remaining survivor of the last Juve team to reach a Champions League final in 2003, when they lost on penalties to Milan. And there was one moment in particular which ensured that even if the greatest goalkeeper of modern times was not to win the Champions League, he was to leave his imprint on the final in most shudder fashion. Gigi Buffon ‘s arrest from Dani Alves trope credit : imago It was after 13 minutes when Suarez drifted out to the right and laid the ball off to Dani Alves, who hit a thumping drive from inside the box. Buffon ’ s momentum was taking his body in the wrong focus but like a drowning bluejacket grabbing the last life jacket he flung out his right arm and somehow palmed the shoot over the bar. It was gently evocative of David Seaman ’ s incredible deliver against Sheffield United in 2003 which was said to have ‘ defy time and graveness ’ in one composition. Seaman was 39 when he made the most celebrated save of his career ; Buffon is 37 and created his own masterpiece in Berlin. But 12 months after once equal Iker Casillas made a atrocious error in Lisbon to allow Atletico Madrid to score, Buffon gave up the second base Barcelona finish when spilling Messi ’ s shot to Suarez. – – – Barcelona made history – but so did Juventus Barcelona became the first ever club to win two trebles – a bright accomplishment for passenger car Luis Enrique who, like Pep Guardiola, did so in his beginning season as Barca coach. This was ultimate defense for a coach who seemed on borrowed time when crisis hit in January, but turned things around in remarkable fashion, finding a annihilating system which has wrecked teams in Spain and abroad. This was not a prevail for tiki-taka, the doctrine which Guardiola ’ s double established as elect football ’ mho dominant military unit, but a fresh concept of Barcelona under Enrique. As he said at his unveil last summer : “ We have to evolve that idea, perfect it, improve it, so that we can surprise opponents and so that they don ’ metric ton know what type of play we will use … [ with ] nuances that enrich our approach. ” He did so gorgeously : Barca won more games, scored more goals and conceded fewer than in 2008-09.

For Massimiliano Allegri, though, this was a barbarous evening. His ternary dream was snatched away from him and now Juventus have the undesirable record of being the first clubhouse to lose in six european Cup finals. Theirs is a queerly hapless commemorate in Europe and they remain level with Nottingham Forest on two wins. For 10-15 minutes the impossible seemed possible when Morata leveled for Juve after Ter Stegen spilled a Carlos Tevez shoot to his feet. Barca looked compromised with Paul Pogba about winning a penalty and testing the custodian with a drive from range. But finally they succumbed to their fortune and failed to join Celtic ( 1967 ), Ajax ( 1972 ), PSV Eindhoven ( 1988 ), Manchester United ( 1999 ), Barcelona ( 2009 ), Inter Milan ( 2010 ) and Bayern Munich ( 2013 ) on the wind name of ternary winners. Massimiliano Allegri visualize credit rating : Eurosport – – – Xavi ended on the perfect note When Iniesta ambled over to the touchline and unwrapped the captain ’ s armband after 78 minutes, the Olympiastadion was enveloped by an almighty howl. Xavi came on for his 767th Barcelona appearance and went on to collect the 25th major trophy of his Blaugrana career. This was more than just a courteous gesture from Enrique – Xavi entered the game at a crucial juncture and his calm, assured authorize helped Barcelona see out the contest without excessively much alarm. Barcelona ‘s Andres Iniesta hands over the captain ‘s armband as he is substituted by Xavi image credit : Reuters We know Xavi ’ s determine has waned in the past two seasons, but Enrique ’ s achiever in convincing him to remain at Barcelona survive summer was a black one. The man who, above any other, embodies Barcelona ’ mho style and values played his part in a season and a night which has repositioned Barca as football ’ s primary power. It was only right that he lifted the golf club ‘s fifth european Cup. – – – But Arturo Vidal was a joke clearly the occasion of the Champions League final got to the Juventus midfielder as, after losing Iniesta for the first step goal, he inexplicably set about Barcelona with a series of raving mad challenges. Vidal was fortunate to avoid a book after merely six minutes when clattering into Iniesta but was shown the yellow card just four minutes by and by when Sergio Busquets did him with a smart turn and he brought the Barcelona midfielder to the grind. After 14 minutes he then decided to chop down Neymar and get involved in a spat with Barca ’ s players evening as the referee came to address the position. It was wholly pathetic however Vidal stayed on the lurch. When Dani Alves embarrassed him with a nutmeg and the Barca end rose to their feet and jeered in please, Vidal might have wished he had seen red earlier in the contest. Champions League Rummenigge promises ‘ great conflict ’ for Bayern volt Atletico 01/05/2016 AT 20:51

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