MX23RW : Thursday, November 28 03:09:19| >> :120:14434:14434:
[monks data]
Juventus logo
Champions League | Final
Jun 6, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Barcelona logo

1-3

Morata (55')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Rakitic (4'), Suarez (68'), Neymar (97')

Marco van Basten hoping for Juventus win

Former AC Milan striker Marco van Basten tells Sports Mole that he wants Juventus to beat Barcelona in the Champions League final.

Marco van Basten has told Sports Mole that he would like to see Juventus win the Champions League this weekend, despite his allegiance to their domestic rivals AC Milan.

The Italian side, who are two-time winners of European football's premier club competition, will be appearing in the final for the first time since 2003 when they take on Barcelona in Berlin on Saturday night.

Despite having conceded that the Spanish champions are the favourites, the former Milan striker has admitted that he would prefer to witness a Juve victory.

"Barcelona have the most possibilities to win, but Juventus are a good team and I hope that they will win. That's why I say it will be a 2-2 draw and Juventus win on penalties," said the 50-year-old, whom we spoke to in his role as Nissan's ambassador for their UEFA Champions League final activity in Berlin.

Juventus head into the contest in the German capital on the back of winning their fourth consecutive Serie A title, as well as their first Coppa Italia in two decades.

Massimiliano Allegri's men have also made an impression in this season's Champions League by recording impressive two-legged wins over Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid in the knockout stages.

The reason behind such displays both domestically and abroad, according to Van Basten, is the consistency throughout the playing squad.

"Juventus have been the champions of Italy for the last four years, which means they work well together. They've won a lot together. They have an experienced team and work so much together, it gives them strength as a team. They can read a game and know how to defend, as well as attack," added the Dutch legend.

"If you compare with the Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich final five years ago, we also saw an Inter team that was very experienced and that had played together for some time - that's what is happening with Juventus now.

"The important players in the team like Chiellini, Bonucci, Pirlo and Marchisio have already been playing together for a number of years. It's the same for Barcelona. We have two strong teams in the final."

While Juventus will be aiming to win a third Champions League title, opponents Barca are going in search of their fifth crown.

Marco van Basten is a Nissan ambassador for the UEFA Champions League final, where they will be harnessing fan energy to power the trophy to the Olympiastadion in Berlin on June 6. Search 'Nissan UEFA Champions League' for details.

ID:225923: cacheID:225923:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3708:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Marcel Desailly of AC Milan in action during a Series A match against Verona on September 2, 1996
Read Next:
OTD: Milan hammer Cruyff's 'Dream Team'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Liverpool550015
2Inter Milan541013
3Barcelona540112
4Dortmund540112
5Atalanta532011
6Arsenal531110
7Sporting Lisbon531110
8B. Leverkusen531110
9Brest531110
10Aston Villa531110
11Monaco531110
12Lille531110
13Bayern53029
14Benfica53029
15AC Milan53029
16Atletico53029
17Juventus52218
18Man City52218
19PSV52218
20Celtic52218
21Brugge52127
22Feyenoord52127
23Dinamo Zagreb52127
24Real Madrid52036
25Stuttgart51134
26Sparta Prague51134
27PSG51134
28Shakhtar51134
29Sturm Graz51043
30Girona51043
31Red Star51043
32Salzburg51043
33Bologna50141
34RB Leipzig50050
35Slovan Bratislava50050
36Young Boys50050


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!