LUIS SUAREZ AND Neymar scored second half goals to give Barcelona a 3-1 Champions League final victory over Juventus on Saturday and make the Spaniards the first team to twice win the European treble.
Luis Enrique capped his first season as Barcelona’s head coach by matching Pep Guardiola’s feat from the 2008/09 season when the Catalans captured the European, Spanish league and cup titles.
An early goal by Barca’s Ivan Rakitic was cancelled out by Juventus’ ex-Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, who equalised on 55 minutes.
But Suarez put the game beyond the Italian champions with a 68th minute strike off a rebound at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. Neymar added the third with the last kick of the game in the 97th minute.
Juventus suffered the indignation of becoming the first team to lose six European Cup finals, 30 years after winning the trophy for the first time amidst the tragedy of the Heysel Stadium disaster.
This was the fifth time Barcelona have been crowned European champions and it is their fourth Champions League title in the last decade after their 2006, 2009 and 2011 triumphs.
Following their 2009 treble, Barcelona join Celtic, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich on the exclusive list of teams to have won the treble.
Despite brief moments of magic, Lionel Messi failed to become the first player to score in three Champions League finals as he equalled Dutch star Clarence Seedorf’s tally of four winners’ medals.
Barcelona showed early nerves with two uncustomary mistakes in defence straight from kick-off before Rakitic gave the Catalan giants the lead with just four minutes gone.
Neymar fed his captain Andres Iniesta from the left wing and the Spain international squared for Rakitic to drill home from close-range past Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon.
Juve came back into the game midway through the first-half, but Suarez forced Buffon, who failed to claim a winners’ medal at the 12th attempt, into another save as it finished 1-0 at the break.
- Suarez swoops -
The Spaniards picked up where they left off in the second half when Rakitic fed Suarez, who forced Buffon into a diving save with 48 minutes gone before firing over moments later.
Messi, who showed glimpses of his brilliance with a first-half darting run through the Juve defence, then fired wide after exchanging two quick passes in the build-up move.
Juve got the equaliser they had threatened when defender Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross found Carlos Tevez, whose shot was parried by Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, only for Morata to rifle home the loose ball on 55 minutes.
It was the ex-Real striker’s first goal against Barcelona despite four years at the Bernabeu having left Madrid last year.
The goal breathed life back into Juve’s ambitions, but it was a touch of Messi magic which led to the decisive goal.
The Argentina international attacked the Juve defence with a mazy run and although Buffon blocked his shot, Suarez fired home the rebound on 68 minutes.
Neymar looked to have headed Barca’s third just moments later, but Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir spotted the ball hit his arm on its way into the Juve goal.
Xavi Hernandez came on for his final game in the Barca shirt in the dyings stages as he made history with a record 151st Champions League appearance before joining Qatari side Al Sadd next season.
The scene was set for Neymar to cap his first Champions League final with Barcelona’s third just before the final whistle.
They deserved it, lethal on the counter with their front three.
They deserved it.. But the only thing I dislike about them is there diving cry baby’s half of them
Neymar and Dani Alves falling over every little breeze
Alves does hit a nerve with me.. Comes off as a sneaky cheating diving big child
Unfortunately every team has at least a couple of these types of players.
And suarez !
no way barca take it to a completely different level.
Suarez will pass Ronaldo soon.
Like most soccer players then really Supernova….
Delighted to see Suarez get the winner with that toe rag Evra left trailing in his dust trying to catch him.
Liverpool fan rant?
so evras a toe rag for being racially abused by an animal who has bitten three different people on the pitch?
How was he racially abused? Negro?
Spot on Ken. Suarez is vermin of the highest order. Racially abusing a player, falling over when, one can only presume, the wind picks up a bit, and biting 3 players. Biting.
Not a Man U fan, not even a soccer fan.
Barcelona deserved to win over the 90 minutes.Juve were always going to have a 10-15 minute purple patch but I think Buffon’s mistake had a larger bearing on the match than any refereeing decision.Feel sorry for Buffon to concede like that after pulling off 2 world class saves.Probably the best keeper in the past 50 years.
I wonder was Ronaldo watching or doing his hair.
Ronaldo was probably at home blaming Gareth bale and other players Barco won
I would find it difficult to believe that it takes Ronaldo 2 hours to do his hair.
Yeah me too. I’d say four hours minimum!
Amazing game
Why did Neymar dress up as the karate kid at the end?
To get ready to wax the trophy.
Super game….oh Neymar just annoys me….anybody?
His celebration of the 3rd goal was not far off of Ronaldo when he scored that pen last year…
Entertaining game. Barca deserved it. Would have been nice to see a pirlo masterclass#guiltypleasure
CAST iron 100% penalty for Pogba. Juve were on top at that stage and would have gone on to win the title.
What happens?
That’s right.
The ref bottles it completely and Barca cheat their way to another trophy.
Staggering decision.
Absolutely staggering.
@Tommy well they aren’t called Uefalona for nothing haha.. Ah they deserved it though.. Top class attacking force
and you get all the red thumbs because no one wants to admit the media hyped truth. barca had to win this. that’s what uefa want.
It was outside the box
And good call on Neymars hand ball. I guess that doesn’t fit in with the Barcelona conspiracy.
Great final and actually the whole champions league has been excellent this season. It was an antidote to the worst premier league in history IMO.
because he’s a gob##ite
Viva El Barca, we will continue to dominate world football! would much prefer to be in my old home off Las Rambles in Barcelona this weekend than in Boston. Major Bara fan for over 17 years!
what was the deal with the juv fans celebrating with neymar when he scored . prawn sandwiches
Well done Barcelona.
Your Qatari masters will be proud.
If George Orwell was alive today he’d skip Catalonia and head straight to Greece.