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Carlos Tevez – Juventus
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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.
