Winning a trophy is the primary reason behind the existence of sports teams. If a team can win one trophy in one season, then that campaign is undoubtedly marked as a successful one for them. But when a team can win each and every single competition that they have taken part in, then they are what you would call legends.
The manner in which Barcelona swaggered to the treble this season is a truly phenomenal achievement. If winning the La Liga was not enough, the Catalans ensured that they won the Spanish Cup as well, and that’s not where it stops for Luis Enrique’s men who took it one step further and signed off on the season with a tremendous victory over Juventus that handed them the UEFA Champions League.
Juve’s Alvaro Morata scores past Barca ‘keeper Ter Stegen to put his side on level terms
The game that took place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin was one of the finest displays of top class football that I have ever seen. More often than not, the finals of competitions turn out to be cagey affairs as the teams do not want to end up exposing their defence. But that was not at all the case in this year’s Champions League final. The reason behind that though is the early goal that Ivan Rakitic scored for Barca.
That effort was as good as it gets and it was not possible for me to hold back my emotions after watching such a beautiful team goal. The speed and the accuracy of the passing that led to Rakitic putting the ball past a hapless Buffon was unbelievably easy on the eye. Could anyone have imagined in their wildest dreams that the Juventus defence, the same defence that leaked only 24 goals in the whole of the Serie A season could have been brought to a standstill? But that of course was just the beginning of what turned out to be a fast paced game with plenty of action to keep us fans entertained. Juventus found it tough at times and their veteran ‘keeper Buffon deserves a lot credit for keeping his team in the game.
Barca’s Luis Suarez puts his side back in the lead after slotting the ball home from a Lionel Messi rebound
Ultimately though, the Italians proved what they are made of as some slick passing from Claudio Marchisio and Stephan Lichtsteiner set up Carlos Tevez whose powerful strike was parried into the path of his strike partner, Alvaro Morata who did not disappoint with an easy tap in. Around this time, Massimiliano Allegri’s men got a firm foothold on the game and things got really interesting. But the Spanish champions had other plans as they hit Juve on a quick counter that led to former Liverpool star, Luis Suarez hitting the back of the net with a tap in after Buffon could only parry Lionel Messi’s powerful drive.
That proved to be the turning point of the game though as Juventus were forced to pile men forward with limited time left on the clock and it was ultimately this desperation that led to their undoing as Neymar managed to add some gloss to the scoreline by notching up a third for Barca deep into stoppage time. With that, the game came to an end and another gleaming crown was added to the collections of Barcelona Football Club who have already begun a new debate as to whether or not their current bunch is the finest football team in history
