Real Madrid vs Juventus, 2017 Champions League Final: Match Preview, Goalkeepers
It's Navas vs. Buffon, Juventus have the edge.
Real Madrid will face a football legend in Gianluigi Buffon
when the 2017 Champions League Final kicks off in Cardiff next
Saturday. Buffon will be fighting to win his first Champions League
trophy at age 39 after losing the 2003 and 2015 Final against Milan and
FC Barcelona respectively.
Meanwhile, Keylor Navas
will be the one in charge of stopping Higuain and Dybala's efforts
upfront. The Costa Rican keeper has improved his form recently as he was
very sloppy during the first half of the season. Navas has been one of
the main reasons behind Real's successful run for La Liga title but it's
clear that he is not on Buffon's level.
The numbers
Buffon has only conceded 28 goals in 42 matches this season. He kept a clean sheet in 21 of those games —50%—, meaning that Juventus have an impressive defensive line as well. It would be unfair to overlook what Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini bring to the table, but Buffon's composure and experience are equally as important here. Barcelona's
MSN of Messi, Suarez and Neymar could not score a single goal against
Buffon in the Champions League Quarterfinals. He's 39 years old and his
current contract with Juventus expires in 2018.
On the other hand, Keylor Navas picked up the ball from
his own net 49 times in 40 matches and kept just seven clean sheets.
Those are atrocious numbers for Real Madrid but again, the defensive
line should share the blame. Navas is 30 years old and his current deal
expires in 2020, although rumors from Spain indicate that he could
either leave the Spanish capital or become a reserve next summer if Real
Madrid complete the signing of David De Gea.
The reserves
Buffon and Navas will clearly be the ones starting but
the backup goalkeeper could be crucial if something happens during the
game —see 2002 Champions League Final—.
Neto is Buffon's replacement and he's played in 14
matches this season, conceding nine goals and keeping a clean sheet in
eight of those games. The Brazilian goalkeeper is a decent backup but he
clearly doesn't have what it takes to replace Buffon once the legend
announces his retirement.
Kiko Casilla will be ready to play if coach Zinedine Zidane
needs him. He's played 19 games this season and even managed to really
challenge Keylor Navas' starting spot when the Costa Rican keeper wasn't
playing very well. Some reporters and fans wanted Zidane to trust
Casilla more often but Navas never truly lost his starting spot. Casilla
conceded 22 goals throughout those 19 matches he played and kept a
clean sheet just six times. He completed his best performance against
Alaves, when his saves kept Real Madrid's
1-0 lead until Isco sealed the win by scoring Real's second goal in the
85th minute. Things could have been different without Casilla's good
performance.
Managing Madrid's verdict
Juventus have the edge here. Not only they defend better
as a team, Buffon also is a true legend of the game who's still in form
at age 39. It would be easy to think that he should have entered his
decline some time ago and yet Buffon changed his approach to the game
and started to trust his experience and positioning more often instead
of relying on his reflexes an agility. It will not be easy for Madrid to
create scoring chances and even then they will be facing Gianluigi
Buffon. It's tme for Los Blancos to prove they have the firepower needed
to win the Champions League title.
How to watch Real Madrid vs Juventus, 2017 Champions League Final
Kick-off time: 20:45 CET, 02:45pm EST, Saturday June 3rd.
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Spain.
Available streaming: FOX Sports 2GO (USA), Fubo.TV (EVERY Real Madrid game with a high-quality and legal stream, click here to sign up and benefit from a huge offer for new members and Managing Madrid readers).
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