This year’s UEFA Champions League final pits the finest football exports from Italy and Spain against one another: Juventus vs. Barcelona.
And while Saturday’s contest in Berlin marks the first time the bianconeri and blaugrana will meet in the final, they have squared off in European competition before.
Saturday programming alert: Watch Juventus vs. Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final live on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet World. Coverage starts with our pre-game show at 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT. || Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
1970-71 Inter-Cities Fair Cup
A second-round clash in the Inter-Cities Fair Cup—a non-UEFA tournament that is recognised as the predecessor to the old UEFA Cup, which is now known as the Europa League—saw Juventus march into the Camp Nou and claim a 2-1 victory in first leg, and then win by same score line in the return match in Turin. Future England manager Fabio Capello scored the winning goal on a lovely chip shot, while goalkeeper Roberto Tancredi stood on his head for Juve in the decisive game.
1985-86 UEFA European Cup quarterfinals
Juventus won its first European Cup—the forerunner to today’s UEFA Champions League—the season before by beating Liverpool in the final, the occasion overshadowed by the Heysel tragedy. The defending champions were still a formidable side when they took on Barcelona, boasting Michel Platini, Michael Laudrup and Gaetano Scirea. The Catalans, under manager Terry Venables, won the first leg at home, and then took the lead in the return match after 30 minutes through Steve Archibald, who scored on a header from a very tight angle off a cross to the far post. Platini replied for the Italians just before the break, but Juventus striker Marco Pacione missed a number of chances in the second half, and the champions were bounced from the tournament.
1990-91 UEFA European Cup Winners’ Cup semfinals
Pierluigi Casiraghi gave Juventus an early lead in the first leg at the Camp Nou, but Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team” recovered by scoring three goals in the second half, including a pair from Hristo Stoichkov. In the return match in Turin, Roberto Baggio scored off a sublime free kick to give the hosts the led after 61 minutes. Moments later, Barcelona’s Guillermo Amor was sent off, and Cryuff’s team was reeling. Somehow, though, the Catalans didn’t concede another and advanced to the final.
2002-03 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals
The last time these two giants met in European competition was a tense and dramatic affair. Marcelo Lippi’s Juventus took control of the first leg at home when Paolo Montero found the back of the net in the 16th minute. The Italians looked set to head to Spain with the advantage before Javier Saviola equalized with 12 minutes left in regulation. At the Camp Nou, Pavel Nedved took a pass from Edgar Davids and then glided by a number of Barcelona defenders before scoring just inside the near post after 53 minutes. After current Barca coach Luis Enrique shot wide when put in one-on-one with Gianluigi Buffon it was Xavi Hernandez who equalized for Barca in the 66th minute. Things went from bad to worse for Juve when Davids was sent off with 11 minutes left in regulation. But then in extra time, Alessandro Birindelli delivered a perfect cross into the box for fellow substitute Marcelo Zalayeta to slot home in the 114th minute.
