Barcelona clinched their fifth Champions League title to complete a treble for the season courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Juventus in the final in Berlin this evening.
Ivan Rakitic sent Barca on their way after just four minutes when he swept home Andres Iniesta's pass, but Juve levelled things up 10 minutes into the second half when Alvaro Morata converted a rebound.
Luis Suarez put the Spanish champions back in front with a rebound finish of his own, however, while Neymar secured the victory in the seventh minute of injury time.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at whether Barca were worthy winners on a historic night in Germany.
Match statistics
JUVENTUS
Shots: 14
On target: 6
Possession: 38%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 24
BARCELONA
Shots: 17
On target: 8
Possession: 62%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 12
Was the result fair?
Juventus gave it a good go, but there is little doubt that Barcelona ran out worthy winners this evening. The Spanish side were the favourites going into the match, and Rakitic's early goal strengthened that standpoint. Indeed, it could have been game over inside the opening 15 minutes, such was the quality of Barca's start. Only a fine stop from Gianluigi Buffon prevented Juve from going two behind after 13 minutes, and it would have been a huge ask to recover from that.
As it happened, the Italian champions did well to weather the storm and get themselves a foothold in the match. Barca always felt like they were in control in the first half, but Juve were very much still in the game at the break and had threatened on a few occasions themselves. It was vital that they got the game's second goal, and Morata's finish gave them a huge boost. For the first time in the match they were the team on top and, for a spell of 10 minutes or so, they looked most likely to go on and lift the trophy.
Suarez's strike ended that positive spell, however, and Barcelona soon regained a degree of control over proceedings, dictating the tempo of the match and playing at their own pace. They could not put the tie to bed until the very last kick of the match, but with the exception of some late pressure they never really looked in danger of throwing the lead away again. Overall, in terms of both general play and chances created, Barca were the better side today and thoroughly deserve their success.
Juventus' performance
Having only just crept through the group stages, it is fair to say that not many people would have expected Juventus to get this far in the Champions League. Notable victories over Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid proved that they are finally beginning to fulfill their potential on the European stage again, but today was just a step too far for Massimiliano Allegri's men. They came up against a special Barcelona outfit, and they were simply beaten by the better side on the day.
Barcelona's quick start threatened to blow Juventus away inside 15 minutes, but they did well to hang on and keep themselves in the match. The likes of Arturo Vidal and Morata both had decent openings in the first half, but Juve were a little fortunate to only be trailing by one at the break. The second half threatened to quickly fall into a similar rhythm as the first too, with Barcelona creating three good chances inside the opening six minutes.
Morata's goal was exactly what Juve needed, and they enjoyed a really good spell in the immediate aftermath of that in which they threatened to complete a turnaround. That was as good as it got for the Italians, however, and Suarez's goal was a big blow for them. They pushed for a response late on, but in doing so left themselves open on the break, resulting in Barca's third. Any defeat on such a big stage will be hard to take for Juve, but they could not have done too much more tonight. They have enjoyed a brilliant season and, even though this match was a reminder that they are still a little short of Barcelona's level, they are certainly among Europe's elite once again.
Barcelona's performance
This was not quite Barcelona at their scintillating best, but they were still on another level to Juventus. They began the match very brightly and took the lead after just four minutes following a typically slick and fluid passing build-up. Neymar, Dani Alves and Jordi Alba all came close shortly after that early opener, and for a while it seemed as though it could get embarrassing for Juve. Barca were not able to find a second early goal that could well have killed the contest off, but they remained in control throughout the first half.
Rakitic's finish ensured that Barca could play at their own pace, and they did exactly that, dominating possession and biding their time to find a way through. They began the second half in style as well, with Suarez spurning one glorious chance and Messi lashing one narrowly over following some bright interplay with the other two members of Barca's deadly attack. Once again they failed to get a second goal, however, and Juventus' equaliser shortly afterwards rocked them. They found themselves on the back foot for the first time in the match and were forced to weather a bit of a storm from Juve.
Suarez restored his side's lead after Buffon could only parry Messi's drilled effort into his path, however, and that put Barca right back into the driving seat. They did have a couple of late scares, but ultimately were able to wrap up a deserved win and regain their crown as Europe's top team. They also become the first club to complete two European trebles, with much of the current squad involved in both of those. They truly are a special side, and it is not unfeasible that they could repeat the feat next term as well.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Andres Iniesta: It was a fine team performance from Barcelona today, but no individual stood out above the rest. Iniesta was as influential as anyone in the middle of the park, however, helping his side to dominate possession and keep control of the game. He grabbed the assist for the opening goal and was a central figure throughout.
Biggest gaffe
Buffon made a couple of fine stops to keep his side in the match at various points, but a goalkeeper of his quality probably should have done better with Barcelona's second. The Italian parried the ball right into the path of Suarez from Messi's low shot, leaving the Uruguayan with a simple finish to swing the game back in Barca's favour just as Juventus were building momentum.
Referee performance
Cuneyt Cakir was the official afforded the honour of refereeing today's match, and he had a good game. There were two or three penalty shouts during the game, but he got each one right and also showed common sense when dealing with a fired-up Vidal early on.
What next?
Juventus: Juve will begin the 2015-16 season bidding for a fifth straight league title and will be hopeful of continuing their progress in this competition too.
Barcelona: Barca's transfer ban means that no new players will be arriving this summer, but the current crop are good enough and young enough to compete on all fronts yet again next term.
Barney Corkhill
