Barcelona cruises to another title
Spanish team wins the Champions League for the fifth time.
BERLIN — Barcelona won the Champions League on Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Juventus.
Watched by more than 70,000 people in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, Juventus striker Alvaro Morata tied the score, 1-1, after Ivan Rakitic scored early for Barcelona.
Lionel Messi set up Luis Suarez’s goal and Neymar scored in stoppage time with the last kick of the game, helping Barcelona win its fifth European Cup.
Messi, Suarez and Neymar combined for 122 goals this season.
“A magnificent, spectacular day,” Coach Luis Enrique said. “I congratulate my players, a unique group of players, their talent and commitment has been beyond doubt.”
With its first Champions League title since 2011, Barcelona has won European soccer’s top trophy four times in the last decade.
Few will be enjoying the victory more than Suarez.
Barcelona acquired Suarez from Liverpool for a reported $110 million even though the Uruguay striker had been handed a fourmonth ban by FIFA for biting an opponent at the World Cup. He scored Barcelona’s second goal, in the 68th minute, after Messi’s shot was palmed away by goalie Gianluigi Buffon.
“When you come to a team like Barca, you know that you have come to win,” Suarez said.
Just like Suarez, Neymar has collected the top prize in club soccer for the first time after two years at Barcelona.
Neymar had a goal disallowed for handball but, with the game going into a seventh minute of stoppage time, the Brazil striker found space to score.
Juventus set a record by becoming the first team to lose six finals.