BERLIN – Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez, and Neymar all scored for Barcelona as the Catalan Champions completed the Treble Title and brought home their fifth UEFA Champions League trophy with a 3-1 victory over Juventus on Saturday.
Barcelona entered into Saturday's 60th and final match having already lifted the Spanish La Liga and Copa Del Rey trophies last month. With their Champions League crown now in their possession, they become the first team to ever win the Treble twice, after first winning it in 2009.
Bayern Munich was the last team to win the Treble in 2013, as the term requires the holder to win three major trophies in a single season.
It was an incredible and tremendous atmosphere at the famed Olympiastadion in Berlin, but it only took three minutes and 22 seconds for the roar of the crowd to grow to jubilation for the Spanish supporters.
Rakitic found the back of the net in the first few minutes of the game. Barca's frontline easily slipped through the Juventus defense and rather than the three-headed monster of Messi, Neymar and Suarez, it was midfielder Andrés Iniesta who found Rakitic in front of the net for the goal.
After Rakitic's goal in the 4th minute, many believed that Barcelona would go on to blow out the Italian Serie A Champions in Berlin. After all, Barcelona had beaten the champions of Amsterdam, France, England and Germany (Bundesliga) during their path to the Champions League Final. However, that would not be the case in the first 45 minutes.
Juve dug their cleats into the ground and manufactured many opportunities but more importantly, did not allow another goal in the first half. The last two teams of Europe left standing went into the locker room with the score 1 to nil.
The Old Lady found the equalizer ten minutes into the second half. Álvaro Morata found himself in the right place at the right time in the 55th minute after Carlos Tevez blasted a shot from the center of the box at Barca goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. Stegen made the save, but the rebound went right to Morata in the bottom left corner who tapped it into the net for the equalizer.
"When we scored to tie the game at 1-1, we thought 'we can win this game'," Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba said. "After they scored the second one, our heads were down and the third one just killed us."
Barcelona would respond minutes later in the final game of the season. Similar to Juventus' goal, Barcelona got a break as Luis Suarez finished his run and found himself in the perfect place on the pitch to score the game-winner. In the 68th minute, Lionel Messi dodged and deked his way down the center of the field and fired a left-footed shot on target that Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon was able to block. Unfortunately for the former World Cup Champion, the rebound went right to Suarez who pounced on the ball and buried it into the back of the net.
Last summer, Suarez was entrapped in controversy and scandal after biting Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini who did not play in the Final match due to injury. Suarez was suspended from the sport for three months after biting Chiellini's shoulder during the 2014 World Cup final group play match between Italy and Uruguay. A year later, and Suarez heads into the summer as a champion in just his first season with Barcelona.
Neymar had a header disallowed in the 76th minute after it appeared his header went off of his hand before going into the net. Neymar tried to argue that the ball went off his shoulder, but replay revealed that it did go off of his hand.
Neymar found redemption however on the final kick of the game. Barcelona broke down the pitch on a 3-on-2 and Neymar found himself open in the left corner of the box, easily able to slip it past Buffon in the bottom right corner of the net, and Barcelona completed the European treble.
Xavi played his final game in a Barcelona jersey. The Spanish midfielder and Barcelona legend replaced Iniesta on the pitch in the 78th minute. Xavi received the captain's armband from Iniesta making his 151st Champions League appearance in the process, more than any other player in history.
Andrea Pirlo may have also played his last Champions League match of his career as rumors are rampant that the 36-year-old will not play next season for Juventus. The Italian legend who is a maverick of the sport, was emotional after the game as he watched Barcelona celebrate. Pirlo is rumored to be heading to New York where he will most likely join the MLS.
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