A brief explanation as to what the Champions League is before I dive into the struggles of my favorite soccer team when it comes to this specific competition.
The Champions League is a tournament of all the best finishing teams in Europe from their respective leagues. Barcelona and Real Madrid often come from Spain. Juventus and Napoli often come from Italy. Manchester United and Manchester City often come from England.
They play in a group stage where each group has four teams. The top two teams from each group move on to the round of 16, then the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. Whoever wins the final is crowned the best soccer team in the world. Winning the Champions League is the next best soccer achievement behind winning the World Cup. Basically, it’s the World Cup of individual club teams instead of whole countries. Hopefully, that makes sense to those who don’t know soccer as well as they should.
As dominant as Juve is in their corner of the world, they can’t seem to reach their biggest goal. The Champions League has been a devastating place for the Italian champions over the years. Their continuous shortcomings have only made the thirst to lift the trophy more extreme. They get so close but fall just short of achieving greatness. They’ve made it to two finals in the last five years, several quarter-finals appearances, and even more semi-finals appearances. Not only are they the best team in Italy, but they’re also considered one of the best across the globe. Despite the high praise from football fans everywhere, anything can happen in this sport and everything HAS happened.. except for a champions league finals win.
Last year they lost to Ronaldo and Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. This was an exciting matchup with the aggregate ending with only a single goal difference. The match will be remembered for a long time because it’s when Ronaldo scored his insane bicycle kick. Now, Ronaldo is on Juventus’ side trying to help make their dream a reality.
The year before last, in the 2016-2017 season, Juve made it all the way to the final only to lose to arguably their biggest rival in the Champions League lately, none other than Real Madrid. 2014-2015 was the last time Juve defeated Real Madrid in this competition. The victory came in the semi-finals, but it didn’t get any easier with their next opponent being Barcelona. They lost that final 3-1.
Luck hasn’t been on their side. It will never be easy, but one of the best teams in the world should be able to go all the way without this many failures. This new year looks hopeful as they’ve added the man that has defeated them so many times before.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time leading goal scorer in the Champions League. Having that type of star power with you and not against you can only be a good thing. The addition of Bonucci in the back put their defense looking as good as it was during their trips to the finals in recent years. I expect nothing less than a finals appearance and hope for nothing but a Champions League Final victory for the team that succeeds everywhere else but here.
With Real Madrid hopefully being less of a threat, Juventus have their eyes on the prize. It will be no easy task, as European giants from multiple leagues remain suitable opponents to deny Juve yet again. A Spanish team has won the last five finals. Juve would be the first Italian team in nine years if they won it.
The last time Juventus won this competition was in 1996, so they’ve never been hungrier for a win, as it would send fans through the roof with excitement. Manchester City, Liverpool, and Barcelona all give teams something to worry about. The next games aren’t until November 6 and 7, so teams will have plenty of time to discuss and practice as they play in their respective leagues. Hopes are high as Juve is without a loss in the first three games, but it’s never over before the final whistle blows. Fans will have to eagerly wait for more.