Football: Berlin ready for Champions League final

by Can Erozden

ANKARA

The preparations for the UEFA Champions League final between Italian club Juventus and Spanish heavyweights Barcelona on Saturday in Berlin are almost finished and the venue, Olympiastadion is ready for the clash.

Turkish official Cuneyt Cakir will be the referee of the final kicking off at 20.45 CET (1845GMT) on June 6, Saturday.

Juventus defender Martin Caceres will miss the final as the 28-year-old Uruguayan has been suffering from an ankle injury. The Turin club's regular center-back Giorgio Chiellini will also be out due to a calf tear.

Another "Juve" center-back, Andrea Barzagli is doubtful for the match on account of a thigh injury, while in Barcelona, midfielder Andres Iniesta is doubtful due to a calf injury.

Both teams eye "treble"

Spanish La Liga and Copa del Rey champions Barcelona and Italian Serie A and Coppa Italia winners Juventus are each looking to complete the “treble” by snatching the UEFA Champions League title.

Barcelona have won the Champions League trophy four times so far. "Barca" grabbed their most recent title in 2011 after beating English side Manchester United 3-1 in Wembley Stadium in London.

Juventus played their most recent Champions League final in 2003, losing to AC Milan on penalties. Turin giants won the title in 1996 with a 4-2 win on penalties against Dutch side Ajax.

Juventus also won the European Champion Clubs' Cup (now called UEFA Champions League) in 1985. The final in Brussels was overshadowed by the Heysel Stadium disaster that led to the deaths of 39 fans and hundreds of injuries after a riot and wall collapse.

An hour before kick-off, Liverpool supporters broke through a fence separating them from fans of their opponents. Many of the Juventus fans fled and wound up pressed against a concrete wall. The stadium was in poor repair; the wall collapsed and 39 people, mostly Juventus fans, were killed. An addition 600 people were injured.

Road to final

Juventus competed in Group A against Spain's Atletico Madrid, Greek club Olympiacos and Swedish team Malmo. Atletico finished the group as leaders with 13 points whilst 'Juve' advanced to the knockout stage in runners-up position. Turin club collected 10 points after six matches in the group.

In Round of 16, Juventus met German team Borussia Dortmund and eliminated them 5-1 on aggregate.

Turin side's opponent in the quarterfinals was French club Monaco. Juventus barely knocked Monaco out of the tournament after a 1-0 win in Italy and a goalless draw against "Les Rouges et Blancs" (The Red and Whites) in France.

In semi-finals, Juventus played against the last season's Champions League winners Real Madrid. 'Juve' won the first leg 2-1 in Turin and drew 1-1 in Madrid, giving them a 3-2 aggregate score to secure tickets to the final in Berlin.

Barcelona ended the group stage as leaders against French side Paris Saint-Germain, Dutch team Ajax and Greek Cypriot APOEL. 'Barca' managed to win 15 points in six matches in Group F.

Catalans eliminated English club Manchester City 3-1 on aggregate in Round of 16. 'Barca' met Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinal phase. Barcelona won both legs and knocked the Parisians out of the Champions League 5-1 on aggregate.

Barcelona were finally up against German giants Bayern Munich, one last obstacle before they reached the final. Barcelona hit Bavarians 3-0 in the first leg at Nou Camp in Barcelona, and claimed the ticket for the final despite losing the second leg 3-2 in Munich.

Barcelona forwards are blazing away

Barcelona's offensive line is obviously lethal and merciless against the opponents. Argentine star Lionel Messi scored 10 goals in 12 appearances in Champions League this season. Meanwhile, Brazilian flamboyant forward Neymar tallied nine goals in 11 matches, and Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez scored six goals in nine games.

Juventus' top scorer is Argentine forward Carlos Tevez. The 31-year-old seasoned star found the net seven times for 'Juve' in 12 appearances. Tevez is followed by Spanish striker Alvaro Morata scoring four goals in 11 matches this season.

The Champions League cup is brought in Berlin

Football fans in Berlin are able to see the Champions League trophy before the final match. They may pose for a souvenir photo with the cup as well.

A fan zone has been established in front of the Brandenburg Gate and UEFA flags have been hung within the city. Meanwhile Olympiastadion's press box has been enlarged to meet the demand.