Road to Berlin: How Barcelona, Juventus arrived at the Olympiastadion

When Barcelona and Juventus clash in Saturday's Champions League final, it will mark exactly 263 days since the competition's group stage got underway, during which time the clubs have carved out two unique paths en route to the Olympiastadion.

Barcelona stopped to admire the scenery on the way to Berlin. Despite a 3-2 loss at Paris Saint-Germain in their second match of the group stage, progression was never really a doubt for the Catalan club, and the knockout phase saw them dispose of three European elites in the most casual of fashion.

Juventus, on the other hand, opted for the dark path with decrepit-looking trees, barely escaping from the group stage after they started their campaign with a 2-0 win versus Malmo FF. The knockout phase was no easier, as the Old Lady then stared death in the eyes on more than one occasion, scoring when a goal was needed in both the round of 16 and the semifinals.

Of course, that's all somewhat irrelevant as Saturday's final approaches.

To quote writer Paulo Coelho: "It's what you do in the present that will redeem the past and thereby change the future."

Nonetheless, it's always interesting to analyse how a Champions League finalist reached the Promised Land, so just for kicks, here's a look at how Barcelona and Juventus arrived at the Olympiastadion:

Barcelona

Group Stage

A group involving the likes of PSG, AFC Ajax, and APOEL FC was never going to trouble what is arguably one of the strongest Barcelona teams to have ever featured at the Camp Nou.

• Luis Enrique's side kicked off their European adventure with a 1-0 win versus APOEL, a fixture that saw Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Sergi Samper, Sandro Ramirez, and Munir El Haddadi all receive their debut in the competition. The difference-maker came courtesy of Gerard Pique, who scored his ninth Champions League goal with a header in the 28th minute.

• What followed was a thrilling match away to PSG in which Barcelona found themselves playing the rare role of catch-up from the 10th minute, when David Luiz opened the scoring with his first goal since arriving at the Parc des Princes, to the final whistle, which marked a rare 3-2 defeat for the Catalan club. However, It's also worth noting that Enrique's side hit an impressive milestone with a team goal that was appropriately capped off by none other than Lionel Messi.

• The loss at PSG appeared to flick a switch within Barcelona, as they went on to complete the group stage with four successive wins, including a memorable 4-0 thrashing of APOEL in which records were shattered left and right. Messi notched a hat trick that converted him into the Champions League's all-time top scorer on 74 goals, Luis Suarez scored his first competitive strike since arriving at the Catalan club, and Xavi came off the bench to tally a record 145th appearance in the competition.

• Revenge was exacted in Barcelona's final fixture of the group stage, as they defeated PSG 3-1 to claim the top spot in Group F at the expense of Laurent Blanc's side.

Round of 16

For a second successive year, Barcelona were drawn against Manchester City in the round of 16, a cruel reward for Manuel Pellegrini's side, who produced a remarkable turnaround in the group stage to progress.

• In a match that marked his first return to the United Kingdom since departing Liverpool, Suarez scored twice within the opening half-hour of the first leg to put the tie somewhat out of reach. The Uruguayan cannibal was subjected to boos each time he touched the ball, but his brace quickly silenced the Etihad Stadium and was reminiscent of the two goals he scored against Joe Hart at the World Cup. A goal from Sergio Aguero and a missed penalty from Messi resulted in a final scoreline of 2-1, giving City false hope entering the second leg.

• The result of the second leg was not an accurate reflection of what transpired on the pitch. Despite winning 1-0 at the Camp Nou to advance 3-1 on aggregate, and despite a missed penalty from Aguero, Barcelona overwhelmed City. Hart's phenomenal display between the posts was the only thing that kept Pellegrini's team alive, although Ivan Rakitic managed to beat the blonde-haired 'keeper in the 31st minute.

Quarterfinals

A rematch of the group stage was drawn for the quarterfinals, as Barcelona were paired up alongside PSG. However, the Catalan club had made massive strides since their defeat at the Parc des Princes, something that the Parisian club quickly learned.

• Just like the previous round, a pair of goals from Suarez in the first leg handed Barcelona an advantage going into the second leg that proved to be insurmountable. Coupled with a goal from Neymar, Enrique's side claimed a 3-0 win in the French capital, a result that marked PSG's first home defeat of the season. What the scoreline failed to capture, however, is how the Club Nacional de Football product stomped on Luiz's dignity ... twice. Only moments after he had humiliated the Sideshow Bob lookalike en route to his first goal, Suarez nutmegged Luiz before bagging his second, leaving the Brazilian centre-back to contemplate everything he knew about the game as he temporarily became the joke of the footballing world.

• Although the second leg was merely a formality, Barcelona once again produced an excellent performance. Neymar notched his fifth and sixth goals of the competition to hand the Catalan club a 2-0 win and a 5-0 win on aggregate that placed them in quarterfinals.

Semifinals

Barcelona were drawn against Bayern Munich in the semifinals, a tie that many had hoped would be the final and that saw Pep Guardiola return to the Camp Nou and fail in his attempt to destroy the machine he created.

• Some stunning first-half saves from the octopus that is Manuel Neuer had the first leg looking as though it would end scoreless until the 77th minute, when Messi finally broke the deadlock. Three minutes later, the magisterial unfolded, as the Argentine phenom sent the Camp Nou into raptures by leaving Jerome Boateng for dead before chipping Neuer. It was one of Messi's greatest-ever Champions League moments, and a third goal from Neymar gave Barcelona a 3-0 win and one foot in Berlin.

• A powerful header from Medhi Benatia in the second leg injected false optimism into Bayern supporters, as Neymar quickly replied with two first-half goals that put Barcelona back in charge. Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller found the back of the net in the second half, but it was far too late for Guardiola's side, as the Catalan club advanced to their Champions League final since 2011 with a 5-3 win on aggregate. As an added bonus, Xavi became the first player ever to record 150 appearances in the competition.

Juventus

Group Stage

Juventus' most successful Champions League campaign in 12 years nearly met its demise in the group stage. Two defeats in their first three fixtures left Massimiliano Allegri's side on the brink of an early elimination, but they eventually got it together and escaped from Group A on the final matchday.

• In a foreshadowing of what was to come throughout the remainder of the competition, Carlos Tevez kicked off Juventus' European campaign by scoring both goals in a 2-0 win versus Malmo. Tevez had entered the match without a goal in his previous 14 Champions League games.

• A positive start to the competition quickly turned sour, as Juventus fell 1-0 at Atletico Madrid before suffering a shocking a 1-0 defeat at Olympiacos F.C. in which 'keeper Roberto made a stunning late save on Alvaro Morata that hit the bar.
• With their Champions League quest on the ropes, Juventus were in serious jeopardy of sealing their fate upon going down 2-1 to Olympiacos. The tide changed drastically, however, as the Old Lady scored twice in two minutes to claim a 3-2 win, revamp their campaign, and put themselves level on points with every other club in the group.
• It all came down to the final matchday of the group stage for Juventus. Knowing that nothing less than a draw versus Atleti would secure progression, Allegri's side held on for a scoreless draw, a result that could have been different had Gabi not dramatically hit the woodwork from a corner kick. Juventus were through to the knockout stage by the skin of their teeth.

Round of 16

The draw for the round of 16 pitted Juventus against Borussia Dortmund in a rematch of the 1996-97 Champions League final. Dortmund's Jekyll-and-Hyde season had seen them cruise through the group stage despite some serious struggles in the Bundesliga, and despite a pair of injury blows, Juventus got the job done.

• A thoroughly entertaining first leg saw Tevez continue his run of form right off the bat, as he gave Juventus an early lead by slotting home a rebound from inside the six-yard box in the 13th minute. Disaster quickly struck the Old Lady, however, as Giorgio Chilellini channelled his inner Steven Gerrard and literally slipped five minutes later, allowing Marco Reus to grab an equaliser. Morata scored the eventual winner just before the interval, but the 2-1 win came at a cost, as Andrea Pirlo suffered a thigh injury that forced him to miss the second leg.

• The second leg proved to be Juventus' most dominant performance of the competition as they cruised to a 3-0 win at the Westfalenstadion. Tevez once again opened the floodgates with a 3rd-minute screamer from 25 yards out, and he added his second of the match after Morata had doubled his side's lead. Unfortunately, for a second consecutive game, the win came at a cost, as Paul Pogba suffered a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for nearly two months.

Quarterfinals

A showdown against AS Monaco was exactly what Juventus supporters had hoped would stem from the draw, as the consensus was that Leonardo Jardim's side were the weakest club left in the competition despite their defensive resiliency. And in the end, Juventus capitalized on the favourable draw.

• The lone goal of the first leg came in the 57th minute, when some sloppy defending from Ricardo Carvalho resulted in a penalty that Arturo Vidal blasted into the top corner. Aside from that, the match really didn't produce many memorable chances. In fact, the most entertaining moment was likely the tifo that Juventus supporters unveiled ahead of kicking that read "Juve" alongside a heart-shaped Italian flag.

• Another dull affair in the second leg produced a scoreless draw, a result that was enough for Allegri's side to book their place in the semifinals for the first time since 2003.

Semifinals

A tie against Real Madrid had many believing that Juventus' run was about to meet its end. Not just because Carlo Ancelotti's side were the reigning champions, but because the Old Lady were viewed by many as the weakest of the four remaining clubs. Juventus cared not for the public opinion.

• From the opening kickoff to the final whistle, end-to-end drama consumed the first leg. Juventus drew first blood in the eighth minute, when Tevez fired a powerful shot that Iker Casillas palmed directly to an onside Morata. The No. 9 tapped the ball into the back of the net, sending Juventus Stadium into hysterics while he decided not to celebrate against his former club. Cristiano Ronaldo headed Real Madrid level in the 27th minute, but Tevez restored his side's advantage after the interval by smashing home a penalty following a clumsy challenge from Dani Carvajal. Needless to say, Gianluigi Buffon was thrilled about carrying a 2-1 lead to the Santiago Bernabeu, and credit was due very much to Vidal, whose performance over 90 minutes earned acclaim from the footballing community.

• The second leg started in the worst of ways for Juventus. Ronaldo had converted a penalty in the 23rd minute that meant the Old Lady would need to score another goal in order to advance. And as time wore on, Juventus provided little indication that they had one more goal in them. But then, in the 57th minute, the ball fell to Morata, and he drilled a shot past Casillas to put Juventus up 3-2 on aggregate. As the visiting supporters belted out the Italian anthem towards the match's conclusion, an eerie silence fell upon the Santiago Bernabeu, appropriately marking the dethroning of the reigning European champions. Juventus were heading to Berlin.