Chapter 229: The Champions League Final

Chapter 229: The Champions League Final

A week later, the 38th round of Serie A kicked off. Unlike the simultaneous 10-match finale of the Premier League, the final round of Serie A had different kickoff times for its 10 games. The first match to start was Juventus's away game against Verona.

Having already missed out on the league title with a round to spare and comfortably securing second place, Juventus, with the Champions League final coming up in a week, heavily rotated their squad. Verona, sitting in mid-table with nothing to play for, approached the match with a similar mindset. The game ended harmoniously in a 2-2 draw.

Udinese's 38th round match was scheduled a day later. With the Champions League final also looming, Guidolin fielded an entirely reserve team. Key players like Bruno and Di Natale didn't even travel with the team, staying in Udine to rest. Since winning the Serie A title the previous weekend, Udinese's focus had shifted entirely to the upcoming Champions League final, and their training was specifically tailored for it.

The match against Cagliari, who had already been relegated, saw both sides playing openly. Cagliari wanted to leave a good impression in their final home game, while Udinese's reserves were eager to showcase their abilities. Ultimately, Cagliari triumphed 4-3 over the new league champions Udinese. Thus, Udinese's record for the 2014-2015 season was finalized at 28 wins, 3 draws, and 7 losses.

After Udinese's match concluded, the remaining seven Serie A fixtures kicked off simultaneously. As Italy approached June 1, the 2014-2015 season officially came to an end.

The ultimate underdog story saw Udinese crowned Serie A champions with 28 wins, 3 draws, and 7 losses, accumulating 87 points. They scored 80 goals—moderate by Serie A standards—but conceded 53, the highest ever for a Serie A champion.

Serie A giants Juventus finished second with 25 wins, 9 draws, and 4 losses, amassing 84 points. Juventus scored slightly fewer goals (72) than Udinese but boasted the league's best defense, conceding just 27 goals—almost half of Udinese's total.

While the final points tally suggested a closely contested title race, fans who followed the season knew that Udinese led the table since the 14th round, at one point extending their lead over Juventus to more than 10 points. Udinese only lost a few matches towards the end, once the title was nearly secured, allowing Juventus to close the gap to three points.

Roma finished third with 18 wins, 13 draws, and 7 losses, securing 67 points. Lazio, with 20 wins, 6 draws, and 12 losses, finished fourth with 66 points. These four teams qualified for the Champions League, with Udinese, Juventus, and Roma going directly into the group stage, while Lazio entered the playoffs.

Napoli finished fifth with 63 points, and Fiorentina sixth with 61 points, earning Europa League spots. As Juventus and Lazio qualified for the Champions League, seventh-placed Genoa also secured a spot in the Europa League qualifiers.

Serie A was the last of Europe's major leagues to conclude. A week earlier, the other four major leagues had already finished their seasons. Even the Europa League final had taken place before Serie A's last round, with Sevilla claiming their third Europa League title in history.

With that, only the Champions League final on June 6 remained for European club competitions. This was the true battle for European supremacy and marked the third consecutive year featuring a domestic league showdown in the final.

In the 2012-2013 season, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund from the Bundesliga clashed at Wembley Stadium for the ultimate prize. The following season saw Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid from La Liga face off in Lisbon's Estádio da Luz, the first-ever Champions League final between city rivals. This season, 2014-2015, featured another domestic clash, this time between Udinese and Juventus from Serie A.

Football tactics can be incredibly complex yet simple: play to your strengths and exploit your opponent's weaknesses. No team or tactic is perfect; every side has flaws and vulnerabilities. The coach's job is to mask their team's weaknesses and highlight their strengths, using their best attributes to exploit the opponent's deficiencies.

Udinese knew they weren't as technically gifted as Juventus. They had to rely on their tenacity, pressing, and defensive efforts to make up for this. The Olympic Stadium in Berlin wasn't a dedicated football stadium; it had a wide running track and two semi-oval areas around the goals, which dampened the atmosphere. But for the two teams in the final, this didn't matter.

The stadium, with a capacity of 75,000, allowed only 70,000 spectators for the final. According to UEFA's ticket allocation, Udinese and Juventus each received about 20,000 tickets, with the remaining 30,000 going to neutral fans and sponsors. The fan presence in the stands appeared roughly equal for both teams.

As the designated home team, Udinese would wear their traditional black and white kits, while Juventus donned their blue away kits. The referee for the match was Turkey's Cüneyt Çakır.

Back in the locker room after the warm-up, the players made their final preparations. The coaching staff had received Juventus's starting lineup. Allegri set up in a 4-4-2 formation: Buffon in goal, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Barzagli, and Evra in defense; a midfield of Pirlo, Vidal, Marchisio, and Pogba; and Tevez and Morata up front.

"I want everyone to start cautiously," Guidolin advised his players seriously. "Juventus will also aim to be cautious. Based on their lineup, they've guessed our tactics. They'll try to control possession and the game's tempo. We need to use our pressing and intensity to bring the match into our preferred rhythm."

Udinese's rhythm, of course, was fast! Fast defense, fast attacks, and even faster counter-attacks.

"For this match, I've decided not to start Antonio. It's not because of him but because I know Allegri has plans to counter our usual attacking setup, so we need to change things up. Antonio will be our secret weapon tonight. Mohamed, you'll play as the center forward, with Guilherme and Silvan on the wings."

Guidolin continued, "Without Antonio starting, Juventus's defense might relax a bit. Their wing players will likely take a more proactive approach, especially Evra. Silvan, you need to exploit the space behind him and create crossing opportunities from the right."

Widmer nodded heavily, excited and motivated to prove himself in such a crucial match. Di Natale felt a bit disappointed but accepted Guidolin's explanation—this was a tactical decision, a strategic duel with Allegri.

"N'Golo, you'll need to cover more ground, especially to put pressure on Pirlo," Guidolin added. "Bruno, I need you to be more active. Allegri will undoubtedly focus on you. I bet Marchisio and Vidal's primary task will be to mark you, so you need to move smartly. I trust you can do it."

Clearly, Bruno was Udinese's main attacking threat. His role was to keep the opponents on their toes. He was the only player without defensive duties, solely focused on creating scoring opportunities.

Allegri would certainly plan to neutralize Bruno, likely using Marchisio, Vidal, and possibly Pogba and Pirlo. Guidolin gave Bruno freedom, trusting his judgment and creativity. As long as he integrated with the team, Bruno was free to find space, make runs, and dictate play.

"Lastly, good luck, everyone!" Guidolin concluded seriously. At this crucial juncture, sometimes luck played a vital role. A single goal, a minor mistake, or even one pass could determine the outcome.

Who knew how the match would end?

(End of Chapter)

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