Finely poised: Why the Champions League final should be a classic

The best two teams on the planet. It doesn't get any better, or more evenly matched, than this.

Juventus and Real Madrid, two of Europe's most storied, successful sides, each head into Saturday's Champions League final brimming with confidence, but for very different reasons.

Juventus, the Italian champion looking to complete an historic treble-winning season, boasts balance and defensive solidity, though sprinkled throughout this squad there is plenty of individual excellence. Real Madrid, aiming to become the first team in the Champions League era to win the tournament in consecutive seasons, has the superior talent, a glistening group of megastars led by the shiniest one of them all.

Related: 4 individual battles that will decide the Champions League final

There's a clear dichotomy that exists, but rather than separate these two clubs, their differences bring them together on a finely poised playing field.

Airtight defence vs. Cristiano. Freaking. Ronaldo

At its core, Saturday's final boils down to a simple equation: Juventus' ability to slow down Real Madrid's shot-heavy attack, which barrages opponents with waves of pressure, crosses, and, of course, goals. No team has attempted more shots per match in the Champions League this season than Real Madrid (18.83); nobody has swung in more crosses (284) or, on a related note, earned more corner kicks (78); and no side, including Monaco, has found the net more often than the Spanish juggernaut, who goes to Cardiff sitting on 32 tallies.

It's very much a case of shoot (or cross) first, and ask questions later.

Against most teams - almost every team, really - that approach is too much to handle. The onslaught, so incessant, overwhelms. Most sides don't have the defensive discipline to withstand that pressure for 90 minutes. Even the very best teams can often look ragged when forced to defend for extended periods of time - just look at Real Madrid, for example. Defending is taxing, both mentally and physically. It isn't glamorous, and it sure as hell isn't fun.

Unless you're Juventus.

Grizzled veteran Giorgio Chiellini and immortal shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon celebrate goal-saving tackles and fingertip denials like Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates rippling the mesh; the standard pose is missing, but the other hallmarks are there. The two Italians, alongside compatriot Leonardo Bonucci and, when he starts in a three-man backline, Andrea Barzagli, form the stingiest defence around, and they enjoy doing it.

That's not to say that other teams don't take pride in defending, in their own ways; Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp get their sides to push high up the pitch, defending from the front in their whirlwind pressing systems, while Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid has made a habit of muddying matches with a combination of firm tackling, a deep block of players guarding the penalty area like it was housing an embarrassing secret, and the occasional (read: frequent) kick to the shins.

But even Atletico, the only other European club that is stout as Juventus at the back, doesn't seem to truly take pleasure in defending the way the Bianconeri's heralded "BBC" triumvirate - plus Buffon - does.

That's surely part of the reason the Italian side, which will be looking to hoist the famed big-eared trophy for the first time since 1996 - and third time overall - has conceded a tournament-low three goals heading into Saturday's encounter.

Shutting out Barcelona, even in its somewhat debilitated state, was a noteworthy accomplishment. So too was effectively dealing with Monaco's blistering collection of young forwards. But Real Madrid, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, offers a different, multifaceted, unrelenting challenge.

The photogenic Portuguese, 32, has been the main benefactor of Zinedine Zidane's rotation policy this season. The Frenchman's greatest managerial accomplishment (convincing the relentless Ronaldo that both him and the team are better served with him resting at various points throughout the campaign) has resulted in a reinvigorated superstar. Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in his last nine games, including hat-tricks against Bayern Munich and Atletico in the previous two rounds of the Champions League.

Combine that with his supporting cast, who would each be lead actors at almost every other club in Europe, and it poses a problem that will push Juventus' system to the brink.

That, of course, isn't the only reason this rematch of the 1998 final should prove an even, intriguing battle.

Juventus' balance vs. Real Madrid's star power

There's the tactical smarts of Massimiliano Allegri, who's now had multiple weeks to concoct a plan to stymie a Real Madrid team that has, by and large, steamrolled everything else in its path.

Related: How much-maligned Allegri proved critics wrong

Argentine magician Paulo Dybala, after scything Barcelona earlier in the competition, looks ready to ascend the rungs of superstardom once more. His symbiotic partnership with compatriot Gonzalo Higuain, who will again be looking to silence those who continue to question his ability on the big stage - because, apparently, you're not allowed to miss any chances, lest you be labelled a choker - ensures Juventus won't be heading to Cardiff simply to sit back. This isn't your grandfather's Juve.

The Old Lady can, and will, attack. There's balance, both from back to front, and side to side, where Brazilian full-backs Dani Alves and Alex Sandro are among the best on their respective sides of the pitch.

Real, on the other hand, will combat Juventus' superior structure the way it always has, by throwing superstars in your face and asking if you can handle their overwhelming awesomeness.

It sounds somewhat crude and rudimentary to suggest Zidane's plan is simply, "We have Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Isco, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Marcelo, and you don't," but that's not entirely inaccurate.

Credit certainly goes to Zidane for managing the men in his camp - both in terms of their minutes to ensure they're fresh for this match, and, on a related note, their egos - but a team that can flip the switch from dominant to Super Saiyan whenever it wants only needs so much tactical instruction.

Related - Weak link: 1 area each where Real Madrid, Juventus can be exploited

Will that be enough one more time?

Pure skill, or unflappable organization. Which defining trait will separate these two sides and tilt the balance of an evenly poised showdown?

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)