Champions League final: 3 key battles to watch

theScore’s Gordon Brunt, Carlo Campo, and Gianluca Nesci examine the key matchups that will play a significant role in determining who emerges victorious from Saturday's Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus.

Carlos Tevez vs. Javier Mascherano

Carlo Campo: One of the Champions League final's key battles features a pair of players who share a long history that goes back to Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires.

Back in 2004, Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano faced off against each other in an iconic edition of El Superclasico. Boca Juniors and River Plate were fighting for a spot in the final of the Copa Libertadores, and it was Tevez's Boca that emerged from a second-leg penalty shootout.

The pair then went from rivals to teammates, joining West Ham United together in a puzzling move across the Atlantic Ocean. Tevez performed well and subsequently joined Manchester United, while Mascherano found himself on the fringes at Upton Park and eventually signed for Liverpool.

And of course, all of this history doesn't even take into account the duo's time together with Argentina's national team, whose squad for the upcoming Copa America features both Tevez and Mascherano.

On Saturday, however, the pair will take the pitch in opposing shirts, looking to help their respective club secure the elusive Treble.

Tevez is performing some of the best football of his career at the age of 31. He's notched seven goals in 12 Champions League appearances, guiding Juventus to the Olympiastadion. His partnership with Alvaro Morata is among the most lethal in Europe, and it will be Mascherano who's responsible for breaking up the Old Lady's attack before Marc-Andre ter Stegen is called into action.

As pointed out by Michael Cox of ESPN FC, Tevez will – as he has against other defenders this season – look to draw Mascherano out of position, acting as a No. 10 that can expose some space for his side to exploit. If Tevez can get his international teammate to wander up the pitch, it will provide Juventus with an avenue that they'll sorely need in Saturday's showdown.

Arturo Vidal vs. Sergio Busquets

Gianluca Nesci: The front three of Barcelona attacking a Juventus defense bereft of Giorgio Chiellini will get all the attention – even if Andrea Barzagli is just as good, if not better, than his compatriot. But the real intrigue will take place between each team's respective 18-yard boxes, where two of the very best midfields in the world, both individually and as a collective, will go head-to-head.

One of the more fascinating battles will pit Arturo Vidal, Juventus's indefatigable Chilean cyborg, against the calm, cool, and positionally astute figure of Sergio Busquets. The two men could not be more different, with Vidal an all-action pit bull and Busquets a methodical, technical mastermind. While Vidal will drop deep to help form part of Juventus's flat four-man midfield when not in possession, the real intrigue will come when the Italian side gets on the ball.

The former Bayer Leverkusen man is well-known for his bursting runs into the opposing penalty area, and with Juventus using two strikers to occupy each of Barcelona's central defenders, the responsibility to track the sinewy star's forays forward will fall to Busquets, who provides the shield for his defense.

Though his positional intelligence is second to none, Busquets could struggle to deal with Vidal's speed and athleticism, making this an exciting encounter.

And none of that even takes into account the impact of Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio, or Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and, potentially in a reserve role, Xavi. That seems almost criminal. That's how talented these two groups are.

Have your attacking trio's and marauding full-backs, this is where the real fun will be on Saturday evening inside the Olympiastadion.

Luis Suarez vs. Leonardo Bonucci

Gord Brunt: It would be an absolute shock if the scoring record set by Barcelona's triumvirate lasts beyond next season. Their 120 goals are an incredible feat, yet the question of how much more will be answered when Luis Suarez plays a full season with Lionel Messi and Neymar next year.

Suarez’s arrival has undoubtedly benefited Barcelona's quest back to becoming arguably the world's best team, a position they likely won’t lose as long as the South American trio continues to terrorize teams throughout Europe. They haven’t even played a full season yet, but Suarez, Messi and Neymar are playing with a near unstoppable partnership. It’s not hard to imagine that we’ve barely scratched the surface on the record these three will achieve if they continue on this path.

Missing the first two months of the season through suspension was always going to pose its obstacles for Suarez before joining an already elite attacking outfit. Yet his adaptability has helped him blend in and improve the attack.

One of the primary players tasked with the assignment of somehow containing the lethal trio is Leonardo Bonucci, as the centre back will see his fair share of Suarez when he's not dealing with the other two.

Along with facing the threat of Suarez going in on goal or attempting to keep track of a endless series of unpredictable runs, Bonucci and his back line comrades face the threat of the Uruguayan striker’s growing reputation as a playmaker – and, of course, his intense pressing when not in possession.

Although Bonucci and the Italian champs have proven worthy of a spot on Europe’s biggest stage following a dominant season back home, a performance similar to their impressive display against Real Madrid in the semifinals might not be enough when they meet one of the most impressive attacking units in Berlin on Saturday.