Rivalry renews in a changed reality

Tonight’s Champions League encounter between Juventus and Barcelona was always bound to be tasty and it has been given extra spice by the scandal that has erupted over the past week about alleged Italian involvement in matchfixing in Spain, writes David Shonfield.

This tie has been billed as a rerun of the 2015 final — the champions of Italy against the champions of Spain. The reality is different.

The same men are in charge of the two sides, Max Allegri and Luis Enrique, and Barcelona are likely to field most of the same players who came out on top two years ago. Juventus, however, are a changed team apart from their defence, and even at the back they can now call on Giorgio Chiellini, who missed that match in Berlin.