Football fans have no doubt - today's match between "Atletico" and Turin's "Juventus" in Madrid will be one of the most beautiful Champions League matches of the week.
Here are some of the most interesting match facts:
- Italian and Spanish teams will face each other for the fifth time in the Champions League. In the 2014-2015 season, "Atletico" won 1-0 at home, while the match at the "Serie A" club stadium ended 0-0. Last season, the teams played in the quarterfinals and the Spaniards failed to maintain their 2-0 lead at home - "Juventus" turned it around and won 3-0.
- Italian clubs struggle to play in Spain - in the last 27 trips to the country's stadiums, they achieved only four victories, three matches ended in draws, and they suffered 20 defeats.
- "Atletico" lost only one of eight home matches against Italian clubs (5 wins, 2 draws).
- last season, current "Juventus" coach Maurizio Sarri triumphed in the Europa League with "Chelsea" and only three strategists have managed to win both tournaments consecutively in two years (Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho and Bob Paisley).
- in 2013, when Diego Simeone took over as coach of "Atletico", the team played fantastically defensively and since then has conceded the fewest goals of any Champions League team (34 times).
- the Madrid team will have to play without forward Antoine Griezmann, who moved to "Barcelona." Since 2015, the Frenchman has contributed (scored or assisted) to 54% of the team's goals in the Champions League tournament (19 goals, 7 assists).
- Diego Costa scored 9 goals for "Atletico" in 13 Champions League matches, converting 26% of his shots.
- by scoring a goal, the young talent of the "La Liga" team Joao Felix (19 years, 312 days) would be among the youngest Portuguese players of all time to score in this tournament, coming behind only Miguel, G.Guedes, M.Fernandes, and H.Viana. Meanwhile, C.Ronaldo achieved his goal much later (at 22 years and 64 days).
- "Juventus" star C.Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in the Champions League (126 goals).
- Portuguese C.Ronaldo has been penalized 25 times in all tournaments for "Atletico," and only the "Sevilla" team has suffered more penalties from the sniper (27).
