Thursday, March 28, 2024

Allegri hoping to end final woe against Ronaldo and co. – Juventus v Real Madrid in Opta numbers

SoccerNews in UEFA Champions League 2 Jun 2017

113 Views

Both Juventus and Real Madrid have the opportunity to join esteemed company with victory in the Champions League final on Saturday.

As the two sides clash in Cardiff, Massimiliano Allegri’s men are chasing a treble – after triumphing in Serie A and the Coppa Italia – while Madrid hope to secure a second consecutive title under Zinedine Zidane and the 11th in their history.

Juve will have to overcome a poor record in European finals, while Zidane must mastermind a route through a sturdy Italian defence.

Here, we take a look at the best Opta stats ahead of the showpiece meeting.

 

– This is the 19th encounter between Juventus and Real Madrid, making ti the second-most played fixture in the history of Europe’s premier club competition after Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (24).

– Real Madrid have reached the final for the 15th time, four more than any other club (AC Milan, 11). They’ve won 11 of the previous 14, again more than any other team in history. In fact, they’ve won each of their last five finals in the competition, last losing in 1981 against Liverpool.

– Meanwhile, Juventus have won only two of their eight European Cup/Champions League finals (25 per cent), the lowest win rate of any team to have featured in at least five finals. They’ve lost their last four (1997, 1998, 2003, 2015).

– Juventus could become the ninth team to achieve the treble of league, domestic cup and European Cup/Champions League, the first since Barcelona won their second in 2014-15 and only the second Italian club in history after Inter Milan in 2009-10.

– Real Madrid will attempt to become the first team since AC Milan (1989, 1990) to retain their European title.

– Juventus are the only unbeaten team in this season’s Champions League (W9 D3). They are the first team since Atletico Madrid in 2013/14 to reach the final without losing a single game.

– In fact, no team has lifted the Champions League trophy without suffering a single defeat since Manchester Utd did it in 2007/08.

– Real Madrid have conceded the opening goal in five of their six knockout games this season, while Juventus have never trailed at any point in this season’s knockout phase.

– If he plays, Gianluigi Buffon will be the third oldest player to feature in a the final (39 years and four months) after Dino Zoff (41 years and two months in the 1983 final) and Edwin van der Sar (40 years and 6 months in the 2011 final).

– Dani Alves has scored more goals (10) and delivered more assists (25) than any other full-back in the Champions League since his debut in 2007/08. If he plays, it will be his 100th game in the competition and would become only the second Brazilian player to reach that milestone after Roberto Carlos.

– Cristiano Ronaldo has reached the 10-goal mark for the sixth consecutive Champions League campaign – no other player has done it on more than two consecutive seasons (Lionel Messi and Ruud van Nistelrooy). He has also played more than any other outfield player in this season’s competition (1110 minutes).

– Ronaldo or Sergio Ramos could become only the second player to score in three different finals finals after Alfredo Di Stefano, who found the net in five different finals. Ronaldo has netted three goals in four competitive matches at the Principality Stadium, all with Manchester United.

– Zinedine Zidane could win his second Champions League in only his second season in European competition as manager, the first to achieve such a feat since Dettmar Cramer with Bayern Munich (1975 and 1976). Zidane was part of the Juventus side that lost against Real Madrid in the only previous Champions League final between both teams in 1998.

– Massimiliano Allegri is also taking charge of his second Champions League final as manager after his defeat against Barcelona in the 2015 final. He could become the eighth Italian manager to win the title, more than any other nationality.

– 3.02 goals per game have been scored in this season’s Champions League (375 in 124 games), the highest average in the competition’s current guise.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

More More
Top