Juventus VS Real Madrid: UEFA Champions League Finals

Real and Juventus go head to head at the Millennium Stadium tonight in what could be an historic Champions League Final.

Zinedine Zidane's La Liga title winners will become the first ever team to defend the Champions League trophy if they can find a way past Juventus in Wales - but the Italian giants will be no pushovers.

Massimiliano Allegri's side successfully defended the Serie A title this term despite losing a number of key players last season, and boast a mean defence with Italian icon Gianluigi Buffon captaining the side.

The legendary 39-year-old goalkeeper has yet to win the competition despite a career full of honours, and must keep the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale at bay to add the famous trophy to his glittering collection.

It's a back three for Juve then. They played in this exact same way against Monaco, with Alves and Sandro starting level/slightly further ahead of a midfield two or Pjanic and Khedira. The shape looks a lot like Chelsea's 3-4-2-1 but is actually more like a 3-2-4-1. The idea is that the two wing-backs are actually wingers, which means Marcelo and Carvajal can't gallop down the line like they want to. This in turn means Real have no width, which means no room for Isco and no creation of chances for Ronaldo and Benzema.

Juventus

• 1Buffon
• 15Barzagli
• 19Bonucci
• 3Chiellini
• 12Alex Sandro
• 5Pjanic
• 6Khedira
• 23Dani Alves
• 21Dybala
• 17Mandzukic
• 9Higuaín

Substitutes

• 4Benatia
• 7Cuadrado
• 8Marchisio
• 18Lemina
• 22Asamoah
• 25Murara Neto
• 26Lichtsteiner

So it turns out the Bale thing may possibly have been one of those little rumours that can cause a bit of unrest in the opposition, but at least you know you're in safe hands, since I've been saying all day and week and Isco will start.

An interesting aside is that James Rodriguez isn't even in the squad! Don't expect to see him in Real Madrid colours next season...

The preening Portuguese meets the immovable Italian. Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Real Madrid’s breathtaking attacking force in their attempt to crack Juventus’s sublime defensive unit marshalled by Gianluigi Buffon. Massimiliano Allegri will see Madrid’s defence as inferior to his own and Paulo Dybala as the man to exploit any frailty. Zinedine Zidane’s side can become the first to win back-to-back Champions League titles while Juventus can complete a historic Serie A, Coppa Italia and European treble. An enthralling encounter beckons.

Real Madrid

• 1Navas
• 2Carvajal
• 5Varane
• 4Ramos
• 12Marcelo
• 8Kroos
• 14Casemiro
• 19Modric
• 22Isco
• 9Benzema
• 7Ronaldo

Substitutes

• 6Nacho
• 11Bale
• 13Casilla
• 16Kovacic
• 20Asensio
• 21Morata
• 23Danilo

Kick-off Saturday 7.45pm

Venue National Stadium of Wales

Head-to-head Juventus 8 Real Madrid 8 Draws 2

Referee Felix Brych (Ger)