Chiellini still Juve’s rock

TONIGHT’S Champions League final promises to be a classic between the best attacking team in the world and the club side with the best defence in the game.

Punters want to be with Real Madrid but there is a case to be made for Juventus and they should be backed at Sky Bet’s odds of 10-11 to lift the trophy.

Prior to their 4-1 semi-final aggregate win over Monaco, Juve topped their qualifying group and beat Porto to reach the last eight.

The Italians then stunned Barcelona with a 3-0 win in Turin but it was their superb rearguard display in Spain when they shut out Lionel Messi and Co that is the key piece of form going into tonight’s clash.

In their 12 Champions League games, the side bossed by Massimiliano Allegri have kept an astonishing nine clean sheets and only conceded three goals.

This contrasts with Real, who have only once failed to stop Champions League opposition scoring.

Madrid are vulnerable across the defensive line to a side with attacking intent. Juve have had more clearances and crucially keeper Gianluigi Buffon has a better save percentage record than Madrid stopper Keylor Navas.

Key to the Italian defensive line is Giorgio Chiellini, who has won 90 caps for the national side and turned out 332 times for his club.

Physically strong, versatile and aggressive, the centre-back is vital to Juve’s prospects, not just for his defensive qualities but also for his attacking threat from set-pieces and corners.

Chiellini has netted 25 times for Juventus and he scored in that quarter-final win against Barcelona.

Punters using our RequestABet service are predicting goals, cards and corners but along with our compilers, who go 2-5 about there being less than three goals, I see this as a tight affair.

There is plenty merit in backing Juventus to win to nil in normal time at Sky Bet’s 7-2.

But the Italians to win the trophy outright at 10-11 is the strongest recommendation.