Juventus vs Barcelona: Never write off an Italian team

FC BARCELONA go into this season’s UCL showpiece clash as overwhelming favourites against record Italian champions Juventus.

There can be no doubting the credentials of the two finalists after Barca decisioned German champions FC Bayern 5-3 aggregate and Juve overcame holders Real Madrid 3-2 aggregate. But as the decisive clash in Berlin, Germany draws near, most neutrals and of course Barca fans will feel very confident of the Catalans’ chances.

Yes, Juve are a very solid side. But on paper they look like poor underdogs against the Spanish giants who boast of world football’s most potent attack in the superb trident of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.

As a matter of fact, many people would say Barca needed to just turn up in Berlin to claim their fifth UCL crown. However, this could be a monumental mistake as the Old Lady of Italian football thoroughly earned their place in the final. And while not boasting of Barca’s very potent strike force, the super star in Juve is the team itself. The team’s strength is such that the sum of the whole is better than that of the parts that make it.

It is very doubtful if Barca would approach the final with anything less than their usual committed professionalism – very well. However, both the Catalans and their fans must remember history: some 21 years ago, Barca found themselves in similar position, going into UCL showpiece battle against another Italian “underdogs” AC Milan.

Analysts (including yours truly) were all so overwhelmed by the array of proven world’s super stars being paraded by Barca that we practically handed the trophy to the Catalans weeks before a ball was kicked. We conveniently forgot that Milan had their own world class players and that they were even more successful in this competition than Barca.

We got carried away by the exploits of Romario and Bulgaria’s Hristo Stoichkov (both of whom went on to shine at the USA ’94 Mundial, collecting gold and bronze silver respectively few weeks after the final mishap).

We couldn’t imagine any team would dare to face a team whose goal was manned by the great Andoni Zubizarreta or whose defence was ably marshaled by Dutch legend Ronald Koeman (yes, the current Southampton boss) and whose midfield was orchestrated by current Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola.

Who would beat a team coached by Total Football originator and Dutch legend Johan Cruyff?

But the Rossonerris, ably managed by Don Fabio Capello, completely failed to read the script as they tore Barca apart inside the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium, Athens – Greece and ran away 4-0 victors. The world was stunned! The impossible had happened!!

Messi and co will do well to watch that debacle of 1994 and treat Juve with due respect lest history is allowed to repeat itself.

1994 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL LINE-UPS
AC MILAN: (FORMATION: 4-4-2): Sebastiano Rossi; Mauro Tassotti (c), Filippo Galli, Paolo Maldini  (Stefano Nava 83′), Christian Panucci; Zvonimir Boban, Demetrio Albertini, Marcel Desailly, Roberto Donadoni; Dejan Savićević, Daniele Massaro – Manager: Fabio CAPELLO.

BARCELONA: (FORMATION: 4-3-3): Andoni Zubizarreta; Albert Ferrer, Ronald Koeman, Miguel Ángel Nadal, Sergi (Quique Estebaranz); Josep Guardiola, José Mari Bakero (c), Guillermo Amor; Hristo Stoichkov, Txiki Begiristain (Eusebio Sacristán 51’), Romário – Manager: Johan CRUYFF.