Since the turn of the year, the European football season always feels as though it’s building towards UEFA Champions League final. With Real Madrid and Juventus facing off in Saturday’s spectacle in Cardiff, the hype is warranted.

Because while finals involving teams from the same country can be special—Real have faced Atletico Madrid in two of the last three—there’s something wonderful about seeing two juggernauts from two different nations go head-to-head. It’s a truly unique occasion.

And this match is full of so many plots ready to manifest. Not only will the world’s premier goalscorer—Cristiano Ronaldo—come up against the finest defensive setup in the game at the moment, Madrid can become the first team to retain the Champions League in its current format should they triumph in the Welsh capital.

There are also so many associations shared between the two football clubs. Real manager Zinedine Zidane represented Juventus as a player, while Juve’s star man Gonzalo Higuain and midfield enforcer Sami Khedira also used to don the all-white. Alvaro Morata, now of Madrid, scored for Juve in a Champions League final just two years ago as well.

But ultimately, this is a match between the two very best teams on the continent. Both sides have beaten supreme outfits on their way to this stage, have shown remarkable quality under pressure and the mental strength needed to become a Champions League finalist.

Yet that’ll be for nothing for the losers of this game on Saturday. The football world will grind to a halt to watch one team forever etch their name into the annals of the game’s rich history.

When and where to watch the Champions League Final on US TV and streaming

Date: Saturday, June 3, 2017
Time: 2:45 p.m. (ET), 11:45 a.m. (PT)
US TV: FOX and FOX Deportes
US Streaming: FOX Soccer 2GO, FOX Sports GO, fubo Premier (via FOX Sports GO authentication), Sling Blue (in select cities) and DIRECTV NOW (in select cities)

Juventus

If we were to assess every team in the Champions League this season across a variety of different categories, Juventus would undoubtedly emerge with the highest cumulative score.

There’s very little the Italian champions have done wrong on their way to Cardiff, making testing ties look straightforward. The defense, as aforementioned, is the bedrock upon which this composure and conviction has flourished throughout this memorable run.

After all, over two legs against Barcelona Juve were able to shut out Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar with relative comfort. Then, in the semi-finals, they tamed a Monaco offensive setup that has been the most devastating in European football this season, only conceding to Kylian Mbappe when the tie was effectively over.

It’ll be fascinating to see how manager Massimiliano Allegri deploys his defense for this one. Veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is a certainty to start, as are Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Andrea Barzagli may also come in to make a three-man defense against the might of the Madrid attack too.

Further forward Juve have been growing throughout the campaign, with Khedira and Miralem Pjanic forging a strong partnership in central midfield. There’ll be big pressure on Higuain to convert any chances that come his way too, having built a reputation as a player who fails to deliver in finals.

Factor in the explosive brilliance of Paulo Dybala and the human battering ram Mario Mandzukic and there’s variety in the Bianconeri front line, the kind Los Blancos have struggled to cope with at times throughout this Champions League season.

Real Madrid

While Juventus have been impeccable in almost every facet of their play, Real Madrid have revealed some vulnerabilities on their way to Cardiff.

They have been especially evident in the knockout stages. In the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich Madrid were beaten 2-1 in normal time by the German giants in the second leg, although a controversial red card and a couple of offside goals for Ronaldo eventually helped them through. Atletico also gave them a scare in the second leg of the semi-final tie.

This team does have a habit of making matters difficult for themselves and at times, it feels as though there is potential to unravel. But Madrid are so adept at reconfiguring in crisis moments and finding a way through.

That’s why they are in Cardiff on the hunt for a second consecutive Champions League win. The esteem Zidane is held in at the Santiago Bernabeu has allowed him to make changes other managers wouldn’t have been able to get away with, primarily making the team a little more cohesive.

He’s also utilized Ronaldo throughout the campaign to great effect. In the past the forward would have been keen to play every minute of every game. But throughout the season he’s been rested and played in an increasingly advanced role, allowing him to remain razor-sharp and be so decisive in these big games towards the end of the season.

Zidane will also have a big decision to make in terms who who starts on the right side of midfield, with Gareth Bale fit again after his recent injury layoff. It’d be harsh to drop Isco, though, with the playmaker performing superbly since stepping in for the Welshman and for much of 2017.

Predicted lineups

Key battle – Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini vs. Cristiano Ronaldo

Although there will be fascinating tussles all over the pitch, whoever does emerge victorious in the one aforementioned will likely see their team lifting the trophy on Saturday evening.

Bonucci and Chiellini have turned in many a masterclass at the back throughout their career, but the way they shut down the Barcelona triumvirate was so impressive. The former is calm and collected in his defensive play, rarely getting his shorts dirty; he’s the perfect complement for Chiellini, who is always seeking to be aggressive and on the front foot.

If you were going to choose any centre-backs in European football to nullify Ronaldo, it’d be the Italian duo. Yet the Portuguese has showed against Bayern—scoring five goals over the two legs—and against Atletico—netting a hat-trick in the first leg—that he can still escape the attentions of the best defenders.

Indeed, you sense that if any chance falls to Ronaldo during the 90 minutes he will make the Bianconeri pay. Bonucci and Chiellini have the unenviable job of trying to ensure the Madrid man doesn’t get a second to breathe on his big night.