Real Madrid face Juventus in Saturday ’s Champions League final in Cardiff aiming to become the first side ever to retain the trophy in its current format .
However , the Italian champions have already shown their might in dumping out Real’ s bitter rivals Barcelona on route to the final .
Here , AFP Sports looks at five key clashes that will have a major impact on who comes out on top:
Cristiano Ronaldo v Leonardo Bonucci
Ronaldo by his own admission has never been fitter, fresher or in better form at the end of a season as he is now.
The Portuguese has scored 14 goals in his last nine appearances , including hat - tricks against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in the quarter and semi- finals respectively .
However , Ronaldo is now faced with the meanest defence in the Champions League led by one of the world ’ s best in Bonucci .
Along with Italian international teammates Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon , Bonucci kept Barcelona ’s fabled strikeforce of Lionel Messi , Luis Suarez and Neymar scoreless over 180 minutes in the quarter - finals.
Sergio Ramos v Gonzalo Higuain
Higuain faces his old side hoping to dispell his reputation as a big -game bottler and justify Juventus’ s 90 million euro splash on the Argentine last summer .
A poor return on the Champions League stages was what led to Higuain being sold by Madrid to Napoli in 2013 .
And he missed big chances to cost Argentina dear in the finals of the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America .
Ramos , by contrast , is very much the man for the big occasion .
He is the only defender to have scored in two Champions League finals having netted against Atletico in 2014 and 2016 .
Marcelo v Dani Alves
Similar in style and personality, these two Brazilian full- backs will bomb forward at every opportunity to try and expose the other ’ s defensive shortcomings .
No active player has beaten Madrid more than Alves ’ s 22 victories during his time with Barcelona and Sevilla.
At 34 he has been reborn in his debut season with the Vecchia Signora , scoring a sensational volley and providing Juventus’ s other three goals in their semi-final win over Monaco .
Marcelo ’ s importance to Madrid is underlined by the fact his supreme energy levels allow him to often cover the whole left wing to himself as Ronaldo drifts inside.
Casemiro v Paulo Dybala
Dybala enhanced his burgeoning reputation and increased comparisons with Messi with a two -goal blitz inside the first 22 minutes from which Barca never recovered in the quarters .
However , finding space between the defence and midfield is a far trickier task against Madrid thanks to Casemiro ’ s presence .
The Brazilian can often be overzealous with his tough tackling , though , and could walk a fine line against the fleet -footed Dybala .
Luka Modric v Miralem Pjanic
With so much attacking talent on both sides , Modric and Pjanic will be tasked with providing the ammunition as the creative hubs in midfield.
After a slow start to the season, Pjanic has ensured Paul Pogba hasn’ t been missed in Turin despite Juventus receiving a world record fee for the Frenchman .
Casemiro ’ s presence at the base of the midfield gives Modric more freedom to roam forward and with the likes of Isco , Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to aim for , Juventus can ’ t afford to give the Croatian any space
However , the Italian champions have already shown their might in dumping out Real’ s bitter rivals Barcelona on route to the final .
Here , AFP Sports looks at five key clashes that will have a major impact on who comes out on top:
Cristiano Ronaldo v Leonardo Bonucci
Ronaldo by his own admission has never been fitter, fresher or in better form at the end of a season as he is now.
The Portuguese has scored 14 goals in his last nine appearances , including hat - tricks against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in the quarter and semi- finals respectively .
However , Ronaldo is now faced with the meanest defence in the Champions League led by one of the world ’ s best in Bonucci .
Along with Italian international teammates Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon , Bonucci kept Barcelona ’s fabled strikeforce of Lionel Messi , Luis Suarez and Neymar scoreless over 180 minutes in the quarter - finals.
Sergio Ramos v Gonzalo Higuain
Higuain faces his old side hoping to dispell his reputation as a big -game bottler and justify Juventus’ s 90 million euro splash on the Argentine last summer .
A poor return on the Champions League stages was what led to Higuain being sold by Madrid to Napoli in 2013 .
And he missed big chances to cost Argentina dear in the finals of the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America .
Ramos , by contrast , is very much the man for the big occasion .
He is the only defender to have scored in two Champions League finals having netted against Atletico in 2014 and 2016 .
Marcelo v Dani Alves
Similar in style and personality, these two Brazilian full- backs will bomb forward at every opportunity to try and expose the other ’ s defensive shortcomings .
No active player has beaten Madrid more than Alves ’ s 22 victories during his time with Barcelona and Sevilla.
At 34 he has been reborn in his debut season with the Vecchia Signora , scoring a sensational volley and providing Juventus’ s other three goals in their semi-final win over Monaco .
Marcelo ’ s importance to Madrid is underlined by the fact his supreme energy levels allow him to often cover the whole left wing to himself as Ronaldo drifts inside.
Casemiro v Paulo Dybala
Dybala enhanced his burgeoning reputation and increased comparisons with Messi with a two -goal blitz inside the first 22 minutes from which Barca never recovered in the quarters .
However , finding space between the defence and midfield is a far trickier task against Madrid thanks to Casemiro ’ s presence .
The Brazilian can often be overzealous with his tough tackling , though , and could walk a fine line against the fleet -footed Dybala .
Luka Modric v Miralem Pjanic
With so much attacking talent on both sides , Modric and Pjanic will be tasked with providing the ammunition as the creative hubs in midfield.
After a slow start to the season, Pjanic has ensured Paul Pogba hasn’ t been missed in Turin despite Juventus receiving a world record fee for the Frenchman .
Casemiro ’ s presence at the base of the midfield gives Modric more freedom to roam forward and with the likes of Isco , Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to aim for , Juventus can ’ t afford to give the Croatian any space
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