How to watch Real Madrid vs. Juventus in UEFA Champions League final Saturday

 

 Weekend listings for UEFA Champions League final, U.S.-Venezuela friendly, other friendlies, Under-20 World Cup quarterfinals, MLS and NWSL: All times are Eastern. FRIDAY. 3 p.m.: France vs. Paraguay friendly ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN, ESPN3.com.</s>Veteran Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon says Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid will have "special" personal significance as he approaches the end of his storied career.

>Cardiff: Veteran Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon says Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid will have "special" personal significance as he approaches the end of his storied career.

A world champion with Italy in 2006 and eight-time Serie A winner with Juventus, Buffon finished on the losing side in his two previous Champions League finals in 2003 and 2015.

Now 39, he may never get a better opportunity to claim Europe's biggest prize and he concedes it is a source of extra motivation.

"The emotions I feel might be different to any other guy who's younger, like Dani (Alves)," said Buffon, gesturing to his team-mate, who was sitting beside him at Friday's pre-game press conference in Cardiff.

"Dani has already won this competition and he has four or five years ahead in his career. I have to rule out this possibility, so yes, it will be much more special for me.

"I still feel like a young boy, even though I'm 39 years old. Tomorrow's match is very important to me.

"I've played for Juventus for many, many years. I've got back more than I gave. It would be the perfect finale. And people like fairy-tales."

One of Buffon's chief responsibilities at the Principality Stadium will be keeping out Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, who is chasing a fourth Champions League title in his career and third in four years.

Ronaldo also dreams of equalling his great rival Lionel Messi's tally of five Ballons d'Or and Buffon dismissed suggestions he might pip the pair to the sport's top individual prize.

"I know that reporters have to write reports about these things because it's your job, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm not that conceited," he said.

"I wouldn't dream of putting myself on the same pedestal as Cristiano. We play different roles. My role is to defend and his is to attack.

"We are complete opposites. The only thing I can do is try and not concede goals. But he can determine much more the outcome of a match because of the role he plays and his history.

"I'm pleased the media see the game as a challenge between myself and Cristiano, but it's not reality.

"As for the Ballon d'Or, it's rewarding to hear it, but it's not important now. All that matters is the match tomorrow."

Alves was on the winning side when Barcelona defeated Buffon's Juventus in the 2015 final in Berlin, but will line up alongside him against Madrid.

The Brazilian right-back won three Champions League titles with Barcelona and when he signed for Juventus in 2016, Buffon sent him a text message telling him to bring his expertise in the tournament with him.

"That's the text message I sent when he signed for Juventus," Buffon said with a smile.

"He's a bit like me. He's an optimist. He said, 'Yes, I will help you win the Champions League.'

"Until now he's been a revelation for me. Not as a player. We've all seen what he can do on the pitch. I was able to get to know him in the dressing room and off the pitch, there's a lot more to him."

Alves, meanwhile, played down the prospect of becoming the first player in history to win three European Trebles.

"That's for the history books," he said. "When you stop your career, people will see what I've achieved. For me, it's really not much use.

"Our objectives are much bigger than that. We have our ambition and will to win. We're hungry. We have a plate of food in front of us and we want to have it."

He added: "The only extra motivation that might help is that the president (Andrea Agnelli) said maybe we might find some Ferraris that pop up.

"That does motivate you a bit! I hope we bring the cup home and the president is true to his word."</s>CARDIFF, Wales – When Cristiano Ronaldo runs onto the field at the Millennium Stadium, he’ll being trying to break new ground on some familiar territory.

In the Champions League era, which started in 1992-93, no team has ever managed to defend its title. Madrid will get that chance on Saturday against Juventus, and Ronaldo will be leading the way.

The 32-year-old Portugal winger will be playing in the Champions League final for the fifth time in nine years. He has won twice already with Madrid, and once with Manchester United.

The conditions this time will be a little different. The match will be played under a roof for the first time because of fears of a drone attack. But Ronaldo even has experience with that.

The world player of the year was a regular visitor to the stadium in Cardiff during his Manchester United career. At that time, with Wembley Stadium under construction, English soccer played its big matches in Wales. One of those matches, however, won’t be a pleasant memory.

The 2005 FA Cup final, which was played under cover, is the only one of Ronaldo’s four visits with United that he didn’t score and the team didn’t win.

It was a rare setback in a career that continues to deliver, even as he has had to increasingly accept being on the sidelines to stay fresh for the big occasions. It’s hard to argue because Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane’s squad rotation system has netted Madrid the Spanish league title and yet another Champions League final.

“Obviously what I want the most is to play more freely up front,” Ronaldo said, “and that is the opportunity Zinedine Zidane has been giving me as a No. 9. I play freely. I play on the wing, down the middle. I play whenever I think I should.”

Ronaldo, however, is unlikely to find much freedom against Juventus, a team with one of the best defenses in soccer. In 12 European games this season, Juventus has only conceded three goals and is looking to become the first undefeated champion since Manchester United in 2008.

At the heart of that Juventus defense is a guy looking to become the oldest Champions League winner: 39-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. A European title is the one of the few major prizes to elude the Italian in an illustrious career that has seen him lose two Champions League finals.

The club is also craving another European title. Juventus won the last of its two titles in 1996, while Madrid has won five since then to increase its record to 11 in the competition.

Juventus is known for its sturdy defense, but it will be supported by a formidable attacking unit led by Paulo Dybala. The Argentine, who has drawn inevitable comparisons with Lionel Messi, has scored four goals in 10 European appearances this season.

“In training one day, I saw something in Dybala that I had seen before in Messi,” Juventus right back Dani Alves wrote in a column Friday on The Players’ Tribune website. “It was not just the gift of pure talent. I have seen that many times in my life. It was the gift of pure talent combined with the will to conquer the world.”

Dybala has thrived since Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri changed the team’s formation to accommodate its attacking talents. Dybala joined Juan Cuadrado and Mario Mandzukic in a trio sitting just behind Gonzalo Higuain, while Miralem Pjanic has been behind them alongside Sami Khedira.

“The 4-2-3-1 formation came to me the moment I realized our team wouldn’t progress any further if we kept the old tactics and formation,” Allegri said. “I assessed our players’ strengths and I tried to put them on the pitch in their favorite positions and I also tried to encourage our attacking skills.”

Juventus has already collected a sixth consecutive Serie A title. Now it’s about preventing a repeat of the 2015 final loss to Barcelona.

“Our squad has changed in almost every position,” Allegri said. “Our confidence has increased. Our awareness of our own ability has gone up. The atmosphere has improved.”

On the other sideline will be a man who has achieved more in 18 months than some coaches do in an entire career.

Zidane, the once hot-headed playmaker whose last act of an illustrious on-field career was slamming his head into the chest of Italy defender Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup final, has quickly establish himself as a diligent and intelligent coach. The France great inherited a disgruntled team from Rafa Benitez, but he united the dressing room and led the team to last year’s Champions League title.

“I already admired him as a player,” Ronaldo said, “and now I admire him even more as a coach because he’s a very positive person – a hard worker and very respectful towards the players.”</s>The incident happened at around 10:30 p.m. local time on Saturday when panic erupted at Piazza San Carlo square, though it was not immediately clear what had caused it. Reports of an explosion have been denied by officials.



Videos from the scene showed hundreds of people fleeing from the area amid fears of a possible terrorist attack. A number of people are being treated for injuries though there was no immediate word on the number of victims or the seriousness of their injuries.



Thousands of people had gathered at the square to watch the Champions League final on giant TV screens. The city of Turin is located in northwest Italy, about 125 kilometers (78 miles) southwest of Milan.



We're working to gather more information.



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LO ÚLTIMO. Se reportan explosiones en Turin en una "Fanzone" donde la gente disfrutaba la final de la @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/wenOfW9tro — Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 3, 2017





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</s>The Juventus stars have touched down in Cardiff ahead of their Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Dani Alves and Co departed Italy for Wales on Friday morning and the players appeared in confident mood prior to their departure.

The likes of Miralem Pjanic and Gonzalo Higuain were pictured making their way to the check-in desk before making their way on to the plane.

Brazilian defender Alves, Leonardo Bonucci, Paulo Dybala and Sami Khedira were among the silverware-chasing players to take their seats.

They touched down in Wales on Friday before they travelled to their team hotel as they gear up for the blockbuster clash with the Spanish giants.

Juve will stay at the Vale Resort in Hensol, which is fully booked out for guests of the Welsh Government, FAW and the club.

There is a darts board, table tennis table and fusball table inside the recreational room — and seats have been lined up for briefings ahead of the final.

Juventus will be bidding to stop Real becoming the first team in the Champions League era to retain their crown.

They have extra motivation to succeed on Saturday night having suffered heartbreak when Barcelona defeated them in the 2015 final.

Meanwhile, Italian airline Alitalia says they have arranged 39 special flights to transport nearly 4,000 Juventus fans to the Champions League final on Saturday in Cardiff, Wales.

The flights on Friday and Saturday will originate in Turin, Verona, Milan, Bologna, Rome and Catania.

Alitalia says they will even employ a long-haul Airbus A330 to accommodate the extra demand.

Cardiff Airport is expecting 24,000 additional passengers this weekend and some 400 additional aircraft.</s>Juventus will face Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday, June 3, 2017.

Eighth “revenge match”: There have been eight repeat European Cup/Champions League finals, but only three teams have been able to make amends for their first defeat.

Juventus arrive to another final with the aim of getting the treble after winning their sixth straight Scudetto and after beating Lazio in the Coppa Italia final.

Italian rivals AC Milan had just won Europe’s top trophy three times in close succession and, in an era when Serie A was Europe’s undisputed top league, Juventus wanted, perhaps needed, to follow suit and dominate the continent.

Real Madrid is set as the favorite in Sports Interaction’s soccer odds. Pjaca is the only player unavailable.

When Madrid flew to Turin for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final in 2003, the “Galacticos” appeared on the brink of yet another memorable conquest. He is a good friend and I am really happy he could achieve in one-and-a-half years so many titles. And although Juventus’ defence has been imperious throughout this competition, they only need to switch off for a second for Ronaldo to change the course of this final. Thus if Bale plays, and you know he wants to in his home country, it likely would be as a substitute.

“With the 4-3-3 you can play more from the sides, with two players on the wings in the front”, midfielder Toni Kroos said.

“If I did 10 good games, that was self-evident”.

– The final will be broadcast in more than 200 countries, with an expected “live” average of 160 million viewers.

Zidane had been part of two title-winning teams in his opening two years at the club, but his last three years brought only the obscure UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Ramos scored a 93rd-minute equaliser in the 2014 final against Atletico Madrid to extend the game into extra time.

Still, at the top of their game there can be no doubting the Brazilian full-backs are absolutely elite level both defensively and going forward, while Ramos’ knack for big-game goals just gets him in ahead of the excellent Giorgio Chiellini.

Last year, he scored in regulation time and converted a penalty kick in the shootout won by Madrid, also against Atletico.

Since Zinedine Zidane took charge of Real Madrid, the team has been more functional, more cohesive and ultimately more successful.

When Cristiano Ronaldo runs onto the field at the Millennium Stadium, he’ll being trying to break new ground on some familiar territory.

It will be a attractive final, between two of the biggest teams in the world. He made mistakes during the season that gave critics reason to question him, but proved his worth in the decisive stages of both the Spanish league and the Champions League, making hard saves at key moments to keep Madrid in contention for both titles.

Juve has been consistent all tournament, while Real Madrid has been hot-and-cold – it didn’t even win its group.</s>Cardiff: Juventus' 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final was dubbed a “galactic disappointment” by Italian media but should prove to be more of a reality check than the end of an era for the Turin club.

A seventh loss in nine finals in Europe’s leading club tournament leaves the Turin side, who recently claimed their sixth straight Serie A title, looking for ways to turn their domestic dominance into glory on the continent.

Saturday's 4-1 scoreline was somewhat harsh on Max Allegri’s team who had put on an excellent first-half display, going in 1-1 after a wonderful equaliser from Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic.

“It seemed the start of a fairytale night but instead, after the break, Juventus disappeared from the scene and the domination of Real was total,” wrote the daily Corriere dello Sport.

“The nightmare of Juventus took over another haunted night,” wrote La Repubblica, referring to the club’s run of losing five finals since they last lifted the crown in 1996.

Not surprisingly, the focus has turned to how Juventus might be able to strengthen their squad in order to offer a stronger challenge against Europe’s best next season.

The tone taken by Allegri suggests a big overhaul is unlikely, however.

"No I don't think Juve have reached the end of a cycle at all," the coach said after the game.

"(Gianluigi) Buffon will still be goalie next season and (Andrea) Barzagli with be with us for another year. They still have lots to give this club but we can improve the team.

"We all need to rest now but after the holidays we will return with new drive and stimulus."

Still, it would be no surprise to see Juventus set out to strengthen their midfield, where Sami Khedira looks to have fallen below the standards he showed in his time at Real, and in attack where Gonzalo Higuain, despite his consistency at domestic level, was once again largely ineffective on a big occasion.</s>Already he is approaching Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti’s record of three European Cup / Champions League wins as manager, and in winning in Cardiff Zidane has nearly immediately equalled the likes of Helenio Herrera, Sir Alex Ferguson, Brian Clough, Sacchi, Ottmar Hitzfeld and Mourinho in winning two European titles.

Zidane has now won the Champions League twice in his 17 months in charge of Madrid and overseen their first La Liga and European Cup double since the 1957-58 season.

Ronaldo is now the first player to score in three Champions League finals and also bagged the 600 goal of his professional career.

Marco Asensio confirmed the result late on when he scored the fourth to ensure the trophy went to Madrid. The Portuguese striker’s goals meant he has scored goals in FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup finals in Cardiff.

After the game, the 27-year-old described how special it was to win the Champions League in his hometown of Cardiff – and declared his hunger for more success with the Galacticos in the future.

“If he [Zidane] can see something that we can do on the pitch, he tells us, and we are trying to do it in our best way, ” Modric said.

For the first time since 2009 – Manchester United the holders, Barcelona becoming THAT team – the showpiece event in club football was played by two sides with genuine claims to being Europe’s premier performers.

One of Madrid’s greatest players, Zidane was an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti when Madrid won the Champions League in 2014.

“The objective is to win next season’s Champions League, it is not easy, but nothing is impossible”, Ronaldo said.

“I prepared for this, we’ve won big things in the end”.

It is said that the Argentina global now recognises that Ronaldo is favourite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. The atmosphere was slightly more subdued for a while after it, as both teams knew the slightest mistake could cost, having played the opening stages at an incredibly high tempo. You can not criticise as the numbers don’t lie.

Real captain Ramos had been booked in the first half and risked getting sent off for the 23rd time in his career with a wild lunge on Cuadrado in the 86th minute.

When Ronaldo first celebrated in Cardiff he was wearing gold boots, now the only glitter the king of Madrid cares about is the medal around his neck.</s>Juventus are the most decorated club in Italy, but they’ve suffered heartbreak repeatedly in the Champions League Final.

The Bianconeri have won the Scudetto 33 times - not including the revoked Calciopoli titles - but the Old Lady has only been Queen of Europe twice.

Here, we take a look back at all of their previous European Cup Finals.

A Juve side featuring Roberto Bettega, Fabio Capello and Dino Zoff reached their first Final by beating Marseille, Magdeburg, Ujpesti Dozsa and Derby County.

However, the Bianconeri’s rigid man marking system couldn’t cope with an Ajax side at the height of their Total Football dominance, and they couldn’t recover from Johnny Rep’s fifth-minute goal.

In truth Cestmír Vycpalek’s side were perhaps lucky to get away with 1-0 against Cruyff, Neeskens et al, who lifted the trophy for the third season in a row.

Led by Giovanni Trapattoni, Juventus were favourites going into the Final against Hamburg.

Having beaten holders Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, a 4-2 aggregate victory over Widzew Lodz assured the Old Lady’s place in Athens.

Once again though they conceded an early goal, Felix Magath slamming in a left-footed thunderbolt from the edge of the box after eight minutes.

As had happened 10 years previously, the Bianconeri couldn’t get an equaliser and the European Cup once again slipped from their grasp.

The Turin giants finally got their hands on the trophy, but they did so in tragic circumstances.

Prior to kick-off, a group of Liverpool fans stormed into the neutral section Z, which had been almost entirely taken over by Italian fans.

The Juve supporters fled from the on-rushing English fans, causing a crush against the crumbling wall of Heysel Stadium.

In total 39 people lost their lives that day, but UEFA decided to play the Final due to fears of trouble if the match was cancelled.

Michel Platini’s penalty ensured the trophy would head back to Italy, but the win paled into insignificance next to the tragedy which had preceded it.

After topping their group in the first round, Juve despatched Real Madrid and Nantes to reach the Final in Rome.

Marcello Lippi’s side took an early lead, Fabrizio Ravanelli slotting home from the tightest of angles, but Jari Litmanen equalised just before half-time.

The second half and half an hour of extra-time couldn’t separate the sides, and the Final went to penalties.

Future Bianconero Edgar Davids missed the first spot kick for the holders, and after the Bianconeri had scored all of theirs, Sonny Silooy missed Ajax’s second.

Vladimir Jugovic just had to score to win the Champions League, and though Edwin van der Sar - another future Juve player - guessed right, his penalty found the side netting to crown the Old Lady.

Having won Serie A and swept all before them in Europe, it appeared the Old Lady simply had to turn up to collect the Champions League trophy which would mark her 100th birthday.

Whether through complacency or tiredness, though, the Bianconeri failed to deliver and Karl-Heinz Riedle gave Dortmund a 2-0 lead at the break.

Alessandro Del Piero, carrying an injury, was thrown on at half-time and he halved the deficit with a wonderful backheel flick, but Lars Ricken put the game to bed on 71 minutes.

Lippi’s men reached a third Champions League Final in a row, surely confirming themselves as the strongest side in Europe, but once again they fell short.

Del Piero was short of full fitness, and neither he or Zinedine Zidane could find a way past Jupp Heynckes’ Madrid.

With 66 minutes played, Predrag Mijatovic - who Juventini maintain to this day was offside - capitalised on a deflection to round Angelo Peruzzi and win Los Merengues their first European Cup since 1966.

The first-ever all-Italian Final certainly wasn’t a classic, as both sides cancelled each other out at Old Trafford.

Gigi Buffon pulled off a fantastic save from Filippo Inzaghi early on and Antonio Conte hit the post, but this was a game almost entirely bereft of incident.

Without the suspended Pavel Nedved, the Bianconeri went to penalties and the spot kicks followed a similar pattern.

David Trezeguet missed the first, and Marcelo Zalayeta and Paolo Montero also failed to score.

Clarence Seedorf and Kakha Kaladze missed for the Rossoneri but, after Del Piero had scored for Juve, Andriy Shevchenko had the chance to win it.

The Ukrainian never looked worried, and he sent Buffon the wrong way to win it for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

Perhaps nervy after unexpectedly reaching the Final in Berlin, Juventus started nervously against Barcelona.

Arturo Vidal was lucky to avoid a red card, and only a series of stunning saves from Buffon limited Barça to 1-0 at half-time, Ivan Rakitic having converted after a beautiful team move.

The Bianconeri woke up in the second half, and after Alvaro Morata’s equaliser the Catalans looked to be on the ropes.

However, Lionel Messi dribbled through on the break, and Luis Saurez tapped in after Buffon had parried the Argentine’s shot.

Juve desperately pushed for an equaliser, and Neymar added a third on the break with 97 minutes played.

Tickets for the Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid are still on sale with reseller Viagogo - Click to find out more</s>Juventus have returned to Turin following their heavy Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid.

The Old Lady received a heroes welcome from their fans two years ago despite being beaten by Barcelona in Berlin, but the mood was far more subdued at the city's Caselle airport on Sunday.

Many supporters were still hurting from a chastening second half at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, where three unanswered goals resulted in a record fifth final defeat in the Champions League era.

Several players were pictured departing their team bus having made the four-hour flight from Cardiff to Turin on Sunday, with veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon among those waving at supporters who had turned up to greet their stars.

Defender Leonardo Bonucci and midfielder Claudio Marchisio followed suit, wearing casual navy shirts, with dark trousers and shades, as the players returned back in Italy to reflect on a familiar feeling.

Buffon seems destined never to be a European champion at club level, having suffered a third Champions League final defeat with Juve.

The Serie A giants have enjoyed a successful season having secured another domestic double, but Massimiliano Allegri's side missed out on the opportunity of winning the ultimate treble for the first time.

Buffon has vowed to fight on, admitting he has only 'one more chance' of winning the Champions League, but the nearly men of elite European competition were deservedly beaten by Zinedine Zidane's all-conquering side.

Defeated at the final hurdle in 2003 and 2015, the 39-year-old keeper admitted in the build-up to the Cardiff showdown he could not let slip this chance to finally get hold of the only major trophy to elude him.

But after the loss, he said: 'We are disappointed. We played very well in the first half, we thought we had enough to win the game.

'I cannot explain why we played like we did in the second half. Real Madrid deserved to win in the second half.

'They showed their class and the attitude needed to play in this kind of game.'

Juve had only conceded three goals en route to Wales, only for their miserly defence to be ruthlessly exposed by the Spanish champions.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri said: 'I don't think Juventus have reached the end of a cycle at all.

'Buffon and (Andrea) Barzagli will still be with us next year and they still have a lot to give us.

'Clearly we need to improve the team to achieve a higher level of technical skill - but after the holidays we'll go back to work with a new stimulus. Football gives you the chance to go again next year.'

But there is no denying that, with an average age of nearly 31, second only to AC Milan's 2007 team as the oldest in the Champions League era, there is a sense that fresh faces will be needed if the club are to shake off their bridesmaids tag.

There were chaotic scenes in Turin on Saturday night in the aftermath of the 4-1 defeat, in which a firecracker caused around 1,000 people to be reported injured from an ensuing stampede in the city's San Carlo square.

Bianconeri coach Allegri said: 'I'd just like to say that we feel for what happened to our fans in Turin.

'There was an incident there and we're hoping not too many people were injured seriously and we are hoping that they get better very soon.'

The majority of Allegri's squad will take a short time off before joining up with their national teams for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers this week.
More than 1,500 people are injured when panic erupts among Juventus fans who are watching the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final on Piazza San Carlo in Turin, Italy.