Champions League final: Re-live Barcelona's triumph over Juventus

Ol' Big Ears waited patiently to be claimed, and now it has.

Barcelona, powered by their superlative attacking trio, defeated Juventus 3-1 in an utterly thrilling Champions League final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, getting goals from Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and one from Neymar with the very last kick of the match to clinch their second treble in club history.

The Italian side, derided by pundits coming into the match as little more than cannon fodder, fought valiantly in the second half, scoring through Alvaro Morata to bring the match level - and even looked to have a leg up on the contest in the immediate aftermath of the equalizer.

But in the end, Barcelona, now winners of their last four Champions League finals, were simply too much, and emerged worthy victors.

Mes que un club, indeed.

Re-live all the action below.

Live Blog

All pre-match time stamps are in Eastern Time.

Second half

Full time - Barcelona has won the Champions League! Juventus pressed hard late, but in the end, the best side won, and now the Blaugrana have become the first club to ever win two European trebles. Additionally, the Spanish juggernauts have also claimed their fifth Champions League title in club history.

97' - GOAL! Barcelona has, finally, added the insurance marker. Neymar, in acres of space as Juventus pushed everyone forward, slammed a low drive beyond Buffon with the last kick of the match.

90' - There will be five added minutes.

87' - Juventus continues to push for an equalizer, though they haven't been able to craft a legitimate opening aside from a long effort from Marchisio. Youngster Kingsley Coman has come on, replacing Evra as the Italians push for a desperate late goal to send this match into extra time.

85' - Juventus, still searching for a goal, have brought on Fernando Llorente, replacing Alvaro Morata - whose goal had briefly brought the two sides level earlier in the half.

79' - Juventus manager Max Allegri has also turned to his bench, bringing on Roberto Pereyra for Arturo Vidal.

75' - And here comes Xavi. The Barcelona legend is on the pitch for one final appearance in an absolutely iconic career, replacing Andres Iniesta (and taking the captain's armband from him in the process).

70' - Barcelona thought they had another. The ball ended up in the back of the net after a Neymar header - following another swift break - but the goal was ruled out after it clearly struck the Brazilian's hand after redirecting off his head. Despite his protests, the goal was (correctly) ruled out.

68' - GOAL! Barcelona is back in front. Luis Suarez, who has had a poor match until this point, was on hand to smash home a rebound after a powerful, low drive from Messi was only parried into the striker's path.

64' - That goal has clearly energized the Italian side, who have come forward in waves following Morata's equalizer. It's finely poised, as they say.

55' - GOAL! Juventus have equalized. A brilliant back-heel from Claudio Marchisio opened up the Barcelona defense for the first real time in the match, and after Carlos Tevez's initial strike was stopped, Alvaro Morata was there to slot home the rebound into a yawning goal. Game on!

52' - Barcelona have opened the second stanza in the same manner as the first, pressing high up the pitch and cutting the Juventus backline open seemingly at will. The latest combination between their otherworldly attacking trio resulted in a strike from Messi going over the bar.

48' - Gianluigi Buffon is single-handedly keeping the Bianconeri in this contest. After Barcelona cleared a Juventus corner, five Blaugrana players blitzed away on a break against just three defenders, but Luis Suarez's toe poke, which was heading for the bottom corner, was palmed away by the 37-year-old shot-stopper.

46' - The players are back onto the pitch, and the second half is underway. Can Barcelona close things out and capture a fifth Champions League title? They are only 45 minutes away.

***

Half-time

Barcelona, in what will not come as a surprise to many, were the better side in the first half, crafting a handful of openings - particularly when they attack down Neymar's side of the pitch, as Lichtsteiner is being dragged into the middle, opening up space for the Brazilian.

***

First Half

45' - And with that, the first half has come to an end. Barcelona lead 1-0 after a goal in the 4th minute from Ivan Rakitic, and it could have been more were it not for the heroics of Gianluigi Buffon. Juventus came into the contest as it wore on, but Barcelona were nothing short of dominant.

44' - Almost a classic Lionel Messi moment. The Argentine wizard shimmied, swerved and jinked his way through three Juventus defenders, but ultimately ran out of room and was forced to carry the ball just out of play.

40' - Pogba is the second Juventus player to go into the book, joining his midfield partner Vidal after losing his footing and wiping out Messi from behind.

37' - As everyone expected coming in, Barcelona have enjoyed the (significantly) larger share of the ball, controlling 67 percent of possession to this point.

34' - The bulk of Juventus's attacking threat has come down the left flank, with Evra getting forward and providing a handful of crosses into the Barcelona penalty area.

32' - The match has settled into something of a pattern, with Barcelona enjoying longer spells of possession, but Juventus looking somewhat menacing when they get the opportunity to get men forward.

25' - Some good pressure from Morata forces Jordi Alba to sloppily give the ball away at the top of his own penalty area, but a vicious strike from Claudio Marchisio blazes over the bar, above the outstretched arm of ter Stegen.

20' - Juventus have finally started to get into the match, keeping possession for an extended period. While they were unable to craft a chance out of it, it will be encouraging for manager Max Allegri.

13' - It could have been 2-0. Buffon, Juventus's iconic 'keeper, comes up with a miraculous one-handed save to deny Dani Alves, and deny what likely would have been the end of the contest.

10' - Arturo Vidal is the first player into the book, getting a yellow for a diving challenge on Sergio Busquets - who did his best to ensure the referee knew that he was caught by the Chilean.

7' - A frantic sequence, as a cross from Neymar seemed to strike the hand of Stephan Lichtsteiner. The referee waved play to continue, and a lung-busting run from Alvaro Morata resulted in Juventus' best chance of the young contest, though Arturo Vidal's strike went over the bar from just outside the area.

4' - GOAL! Barcelona are ahead after four minutes, cutting the Juventus defense to absolute shreds before Ivan Rakitic scored his second goal of the tournament by calmly slotting the ball beyond a helpless Gianluigi Buffon. What a brilliant move, and what a start for the Blaugrana.

2' - A good, energetic start for Juventus, pressing high up the pitch and winning a corner, though it ultimately comes to nothing.

***

2:48 p.m. - Slightly behind schedule, but we have kickoff. The 2015 Champions League final is, finally, underway!

2:44 p.m. - The Champions League anthem is being belted out by a live opera singer. The goosebumps are here.

2:41 p.m. - The players are in the tunnel ...

2:36 p.m. - Prior to the opening kick-off, we're getting the chance to enjoy a quick pre-match ceremony. Pitbull would be proud.

2:29 p.m. - Poor Giorgio Chiellini ...

2:27 p.m. - How will Juventus attempt to slow down the vaunted Barcelona attack and do what nobody else has been capable of in the tournament this season? Though the club's formation is noted as featuring a diamond midfield, that will likely flatten out into a straight bank of four, which will help the Bianconeri deal with the width provided by fullbacks Dani Alves and Jordi Alba. It's just one of the many intriguing tactical battles that will help decide the outcome of this contest.

2:18 p.m. - We're now less than 30 minutes away from the opening kick-off. It's getting close, friends.

2:13 p.m. - Juventus, who will have the experienced trio of Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo and Patrice Evra - the latter appearing in his fifth final - will field one of the oldest sides in the history of this showpiece match.

2:05 p.m. - Some background on each side's history in the Champions League final. Barcelona has captured this title on four occassions (1992, 2006, 2009, 2011), while falling short at the final hurdle three times. Juventus, meanwhile, has not been quite as successful. The Italian club has featured in this match seven times, winning just twice (1985, 1996).

1:58 p.m. - The neutral fans are in Berlin as well. This one, in particular, should probably be banned from the stadium.

(Courtesy: The Mirror)

1:52 p.m. - The dressing rooms, all shiny and spectacular, are also ready. Here's a look inside Barcelona's.

(Courtesy: Champions League)

1:50 p.m. - With just under an hour remaining until the opening whistle, fans are beginning to file into the Olympiastadion.

1:41 p.m. - Juventus, meanwhile, will have these seven men to call upon from the dugout: Storari, Ogbonna, Padoin, Sturaro, Pereyra, Coman, Llorente.

1:39 p.m. - The substitute benches for each side have also been unveiled, with Barcelona opting for the following: Bravo, Xavi, Pedro, Rafinha, Bartra, Adriano, Mathieu.

1:35 p.m. - Juventus starting XI: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba, Vidal; Tevez, Morata

1:34 p.m. - Barcelona starting XI: ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Neymar, Suarez, Messi

1:32 p.m. - The team sheets are out at the Olympiastadion, with each side opting, unsurprisingly, for lineups that were widely expected in the buildup to the contest.

1:30 p.m. - Welcome to theScore's live blog of the 2015 Champions League final, where one of Barcelona or Juventus will close out a magical season by clinching a treble.