It’s D-Day for UEFA Champions League, Europe’s biggest club competition final. Barcelona and Juventus have both touched down in Berlin, Germany, for the grand finale pitting four-time winners Barcelona against one-time winner in Juventus.

Victory in this behemoth of a Champions League fixture will mean a treble-winning season for either team and as they ready themselves to meet on European club football’s biggest stage there is almost nothing between the two sides. The Old Lady of Turin were punished with relegation for match fixing in 2006 but fought back to return to Serie A and has since won the last three domestic titles. For the Blaugrana, it has been a joyride over the last decade in which they have lifted the ‘Big Ears’ (as the Champions League trophy is famously called by fans) three times.

When you look at the ever-green Luigi Buffon, you will want Juve to win it for the goalkeeper who stayed with the club in its worst times. When you look at Xavi Hernandez, you will want the retiring Barcelona midfielder and skipper to close his chapter with a sweet victory, a haul of 28 titles in his illustrious career.

But at 8.45pm tonight, all these sentiments will be put aside and football will do the talking. So who will win? Here is where the battles will be won.

Goalkeeping

It’s not yet clear if Luis Enrique will keep faith in German youngster Marc-André ter Stegen or use Chilean Claudio Bravo. Barcelona have used the two keepers interchangeably, with the German preferred for cup matches while the Chilean maintaining his place in league games. Both are as good as they come, but Ter Stegen will keep his place as Barca’s ‘cup goalkeeper’.

For Juventus, Gigi Buffon is the skipper and will be leading his side in the game. Buffon is a goalkeeper of many generations having served for nearly two decades now. The shocker is that Gigi has never won the Champions League despite winning all other titles in football. Buffon has said Messi is an ‘extraterrestrial’ among human beings but that he has the plans to deal with the trident of Messi, Suarez and Neymar. That remains to be seen.

Advantage Juventus

Defence           

Georgio Chielini is out of the Cup final. The Italian defender will be sorely missed and it very much plays for Luis Suarez, who was set to meet with the man that got him fined and banned from football following a World Cup biting incident.

For Barca, Dani Alves has carried this season on his shin. The Brazilian rightback has been in such fine form that one wonders why he is intent on leaving Camp Nou in the summer instead of putting pen to paper.

At the other end of Juve’s rightback is Stephan Lichtsteiner, who is awaiting career-changing surgery on his ankle. The Swiss is good going forward but we all know no defender has that luxury coming up against Messi. It gets worse when you chase Messi only to see Suarez popping this way. You turn on the Uruguayan, only to see Neymar popping like a bad itch.

This is why Juve will have its entire defence sweating plasma just for this Big Ears. Andrea Barzagli has always been dominant, Leonardo Bonucci is a good stand-in for Chielini and Patrice Evra is still a warhorse to reckon with as he will want to relive his infamous spat with Suarez in Berlin. In their place, Barca will call up Gerrard Pique, who has been solid all season; Javier Mascherano, a defensive midfielder turned central defender. Mascherano is poor in the air but is almost impossible to overcome in ground challenge.

Advantage Barcelona

Midfield            

When you need the right ball at the right time, is there anyone in world football you would pick ahead of Andrea Pirlo? asked Daily Mail. I have an answer: Xavi. But these things are subjective. Both midfielders are now past their prime, the reason Xavi will most likely start on the bench (if Andreas Iniesta has recovered well enough to start). But Pirlo is an automatic starter. The problem is that the Italian is no longer the man who is in things during intense moments such as Barca are likely to take to Juventus.

That is precisely why Paul Pogba, the most in-demand player in Europe, comes in handy. Returning from injury at the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg of the semifinal, Pogba showed glimpses of the massive talent he possess. However, the time to reckon is here and unlike Real Madrid, Barcelona have antidotes to every magical midfielders today in Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquet. The Croatian has forced the Barcelona legend out of the side this season and has coupled tidy passing with tenacity in midfield. As for Busquet, he is a legend; the best defensive midfielder in the world in the last six seasons.

To mess up with Busquet, Carlos Tevez will use his extra energy to run the field like a donkey and keep Barca’s defensive midfielders busy. This is the only way they can open space for Alvaro Morata. Claudio Marchisio, to me, remains the man Juve must rely on for the game. The Italian is not known to lose possession recklessly and is very tidy with the ball at his feet.

Advantage Barcelona

ATTACK              

The talking point since November has been on how to stop the Barca trident of South American immense striking figures in Messi, Suarez and Neymar. There is almost a telepathy between the three strikers who have a combined 121 goals in a season, a La Liga record.

Defenders facing these South Americans scoring machines have to worry about who to mark out of a game as one is always wont to pop up with a game-changing magic. To make matters worse, Messi has the season in his pocket. The Argentine has been in such fine form that he scores some of the goals you only think belong in Play Stations.

In answer, the Old Lady of Turin will hope Alvaro Morata and Carlos Tevez can offer the equivalent of the Barca trident.

Advantage Barcelona

PREDICTION: Barcelona 3-1 Juventus