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The showpiece of club football is upon us as Barcelona and Juventus prepare to face off in the Champions League final on Saturday night with both sides standing on the precipice of a historic treble. While both teams have relied on the overall quality throughout the squad as a whole, there has been players who have undoubtedly caught attention more than others.
While it is important to laud the overall contribution of the squad, those players who went above and beyond to ensure Juventus or Barcelona’s passage to the final in Berlin should be highlighted. Here are the five standout performers for Barcelona and Juventus in the Champions League this season.
Neymar – Barcelona
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It would have been foolish not to pick the superstar Brazilian, who has really proven himself as a big-game player this season. Neymar has been in scintillating form and, along with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, has devastated the Champions League with a series of irresistible displays. With 9 goals, only Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have netted more times in this season’s tournament,
Against Bayern Munich, the 23-year-old struck three times over the two legs to guarantee his team’s progression. His contribution to their journey has been telling and when Neymar looks back on his career in the future, he will pinpoint this as the season when he truly became a star.
His immense range of trickery has been wonderful to watch as always, but he has really delivered an end product, proving that he is much more than just a showboating footballer. His connection up front with Messi and Suarez has been too much to handle for most teams. And with his confidence soaring, he will fancy his chances to score in the Champions League final and etch his name into the club’s folklore.
Gianluigi Buffon – Juventus
The veteran goalkeeper has played exactly like the player desperate to add Champions League glory to his long list of accomplishments with the Bianconeri. At 37, Gigi knows he may not get another chance to lift the European Cup with the Old Lady and his inspired performances between the sticks have brought Juve to within touching distance of their first triumph since 1996.
According to statistics compiled by Squawka, Buffon is the strongest performing player for the Italians, with a total performance score of 430. Buffon has kept six clean sheets out of his 12 appearances in the competition so far. His average claim success rate is 94%, showing that he is as assured as he has ever been in dealing with aerial situations.
Buffon’s outcry of emotion at the end of the victory over Real Madrid illustrated just how much winning the Champions League means to the vastly experienced Italian. What a storybook ending it would be if he were to hoist that famous trophy above his head after sticking with his beloved Juve through the Calciopoli scandal, helping them reclaim their dignity after a stint in Serie B.
Now, Buffon stands on the cusp of the greatest moment of his club career. If he plays as well as he has been doing, Juventus may well win it.
Dani Alves – Barcelona
Not long ago, the Brazilian full-back looked like something of a first-team pariah at the Camp Nou, but his marauding displays on the right of Barca’s defence has been integral to their attacking play throughout this campaign. Alves has created 16 chances in the Champions League this season and with four assists, he has been the most creative defender in the competition all season.
He is widely expected to depart from the club in the summer, after seven years of service to the Catalan giants, but he has certainly not wound down his time as a Barcelona player warming the bench. Alves stole the headlines before Barca’s semi-final showdown with Bayern Munich for his red tuxedo, but he has sufficiently proven en route to the final that his play is as sharp as his wardrobe.
Alves’ understanding with where Barcelona’s attackers run is key to his productivity going forward. Against PSG in the quarter-final, he exchanged 47 passes with Messi – more than any other player. Alves is clever in his distribution in that he is always looking for the players likely to make things happen for Barcelona. His range of passing, vision and pace are still a staple and will be a key factor in unlocking Juve’s defence in what is likely to be his swansong.
Carlos Tevez – Juventus
The Argentine’s importance to Max Allegri’s Juventus machine is almost immeasurable. He may be the wrong side of 30, but he is arguably playing the best football of his career. From 12 Champions League appearances this year, Tevez has seven goals and one assist. He scored three times over two legs in the quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund and his indefatigable displays have been a staple of Juve’s high-tempo, energetic attacks.
Alvaro Morata may have achieved heroic status when he scored against his old club in the semi-final, but Tevez is the more likely man to snatch a winner against what will be a stubborn Barca defence. It was Tevez who got Juve’s Champions League campaign underway with both goals in a 2-0 win over Malmo in the group stage, and don’t be surprised if the former Manchester City striker is roaring with celebration after scoring yet another goal in what has been one of his finest ever seasons.
The Italian papers lauded the Argentine after his performances against Real Madrid. Will they be heaping praise in a similar fashion for his performance against Madrid’s greatest rivals?
Lionel Messi – Barcelona
There was never a chance of the world’s greatest player (sorry, Ronaldo fans) being excluded from this list. He may be an obvious choice, but he is a must inclusion in any discussion of this season’s greatest Champions League performers.
After reports of being unsettled in the earlier stages of the season, Messi has reclaimed his mojo in a series of sensational performances that has given him a shot at yet another Champions League title. Messi once again leads the scoring charts with 10 goals, bamboozling everyone he has played against – from Manchester City to Bayern Munich. Spare a thought for Jerome Boateng, who Messi reduced to a flailing wreck in his wake en route to scoring against Bayern.
Also, remember Pep Guardiola covering his face in shock at the Argentine maestro’s mesmeric performance to eliminate Manchester City. If Allegri and his players use video tutorials to analyse the opposition, they may be haunted by the level of performance seen in Messi’ clips; he has been that good.
Manchester United will tell you all about Messi’s excellence in Champions League finals – he scored in both finals against the Red Devils. Can the four-time Ballon d’Or winner fire Barcelona to glory once again? It would certainly be fitting considering his sustained brilliance in Europe this season.
