Champions League Final Preview 2016

134 teams have been whittled down to the last two, in a repeat of the Lisbon final in 2014. Having clinched La Decima two years ago, a header from Sergio Ramos in injury time broke the hearts of Atletico Madrid to seal extra time, with Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring to allow Iker Casillas to lift the infamous trophy.

Both sides are aiming for their first trophy of the season, with neither toppling Barcelona who lifted the La Liga title almost two weeks ago. A shock defeat for Atletico at the hands of bottom side Levante in Week 37 ended their hopes thanks to a 91st minute goal from Giuseppe Rossi. A late Real Madrid surge coupled with a slump in form from Barcelona allowed them to get within an arm stretch, however despite a 2-0 win over Deportivo, Barcelona were able to defeat Granada 3-0 to pip their historic rivals to the post.

Real Madrid had a relatively stress free trip through the group stage, only dropping two points in a scoreless draw at the Parc-des-Princes against PSG. Free scoring going forward, they were water tight at the back, conceding just three goals all of which came in a 13 minute period at the end from Shakhtar Donetsk to leave the final score 4-3. An annihilation of Malmo was undoubtedly the most memorable point of the group stage in the last game thanks to four goals from Ronaldo, a hat trick from Karim Benzema and a goal from Mateo Kovacic.

A 2-1 defeat to Benfica and a nil-nil draw to Astana were the only blemishes on the card of Atletico Madrid in the group stage. The fiery atmosphere of the Turk Telecom Arena in Istanbul was matched with two unanswered Antoine Griezmann goals and the French forward dealt the same blows in the return fixture. Astana were also swept aside with Oliver Torres, Saul Niguez and Jackson Martinez getting on the score sheet.

Real Madrid were in complete control against AS Roma in the Round of 16 running out 4-0 winners on aggregate, while Atletico needed a penalty shoot out to separate themselves from Dutch side, PSV. Los Blancos nearly suffered a surprise shock in the Quarters, with Wolfsburg taking a surprise 2-0 lead into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, however a Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick prevented an upset. Atletico had a significantly tougher challenge in the way in the shape of holders Barcelona. Fernando Torres' away goal was vital in the first leg, with Antoine Griezmann netting a header and scoring an 88th minute penalty to knock the holders out.

Both sides had semi final matches against very tough opposition. Real faced Manchester City while their neighbours faced favourites, Bayern Munich. A stunning goal from Saul Niguez gave Los Rojiblancos a lead after the first leg at the Vicente Calderon while their neighbours stood strong at the hands of Manchester City. Gareth Bale's deflected cross was enough to book his side's place in Milan while Atletico showed discipline and determination that they are fabled for to cling on to a victory on away goals, with Antoine Griezmann once again popping up in the right place at the perfect time.

A vital cog in the Atleti wheel that is rolling to Milan, Antoine Griezmann no doubt remains Diego Simeone's main attacking outlet. The former Real Sociedad player has already netted 7 times for his side in the competition this year as well as a further 22 goals in the league campaign. Griezmann is lethal on the break, with the pivotal goal coming from a swift counter attack at the Allianz Arena. The Real centre halves will certainly have their hands full. The work rate of Koke and Gabi in the midfield are the biggest positive for Simeone particularly as both will do their defensive duties but will also look to create the chances for the forward men. At the back, Atleti have a severely underrated keeper in Jan Oblak, as well as the experienced heads of Diego Godin and Juanfran.

It's hard to pick out which of Real's 'Galactico-esque' signings is the most important, but the chalice must be handed to Cristiano Ronaldo. With 16 goals in the competition, the Portuguese winger is 7 ahead of his nearest competitor. At 31 years of age, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down and has broke almost every record at the club in his 7 short years there. When marking him out of the game, Atletico would run the risk of opening up space for his team mates and he is professional enough to allow this to happen. Pepe and Sergio Ramos are crucial for the ten times champions on Saturday evening. Despite a decent defensive record in the competition, there has been times when they have looked shaky, particularly in the match at the Etihad stadium.

Both Diego Simeone and Zinedine Zidane are icons at their respective clubs. With Florentino Perez looking the Frenchman to emulate Pep Guardiola, Zidane was promoted from manager of Castilla to first team manager upon the sacking of Rafa Benitez in January. It has been a good six months for the rookie and Saturday could see the former play-maker cap it off with a victory. Unlike Zidane, Diego Simeone has the experience of managing his side in a major final, albeit a losing one. Simeone wrote the ultimate underdog story two seasons ago when he successfully guided his side to their first Spanish league title since 1996. Simeone has built his side in a model of himself - hardworking, physical, dedicated but also willing to bend the rules when necessary. Simeone stands on the touchline orchestrating every move his players make with passionate instructions, almost like playing a game of FIFA on the Xbox. A very animated coach, it is almost as if Atletico are playing with 12 players.

While only a short 20 minute car journey down the M-30 separates the sides, their style of play are polar opposites. Atletico Madrid are a well drilled side that are very difficult to break down as Barcelona and Bayern Munich found out in the previous rounds. Their rivals often rely on the individual brilliance of the stars within their ranks and are often a lot more fluid in their approach. Real will have the majority of possession without a doubt, but Atletico are experts at winning football matches with less possession. Their triumph in the Vicente Calderon over Bayern Munich only required 31% while 28% was enough to see off Barcelona in the second leg. Zinedine Zidane's men could do no worse than scoring an early goal within the opening quarter of the game, forcing Atleti to become a bit more adventurous. Likewise, if the first goal goes to Griezmann and co, it heaps an enormous amount of pressure onto their opponents.

I fancy Atletico to win their first European Cup. The agonisingly defeat in 2014 will stand them in good stead for the match on Saturday. Since that defeat, Simeone and his side have progressed and the match at the weekend will be an indication as to whether they have learnt from previous lessons.

Assessing the Favourites

It's hard to believe that we're less than a month until the tournament commences and with provisional squads beginning to be announced everyone is switching their mindset from the domestic season to what promises to be a special tournament. Having shared my opinions on some of the sides that have the ability to cause a shock on the scale of Greece '04, here are my thoughts on who is likely to lift the the Henri Delaunay Trophy on the 10th July.

France

It would be rude to not start with the hosts, who remain very strong despite the exclusion of Karim Benzema. Antoine Griezmann has been red hot for Atletico Madrid, similarly, Anthony Martial has had a sterling first season in Manchester. With a squad containing key players such as Raphael Varane, Martial, Kingsley Coman and Paul Pogba who are all under the age of 24, the core of this team will be around for the next World Cup and mixed with the experienced heads such as Hugo Lloris, Patrice Evra, Blaise Matuidi, Yohan Cabaye and Dimitri Payet. Home advantage will certainly play a part in their campaign, with France in a frenzy in the lead up to the start of the tournament. With a group consisting of Romania, Albania and Switzerland it paves the way for strong run in the tournament and don't be put it past them if they lift the trophy on home soil.

Germany

The reigning World Champions will be deserved favourites after such a scintillating show two years ago in Brazil. Despite retirements to Phillip Lahm, Mirosav Klose and Per Mertesacker and questions over the form at the start of the qualifying campaign, the Germans have a plethora of young talent coming through. Bastian Schweinsteiger steps up to replace Phillip Lahm as captain despite an injury plagued season at Old Trafford. Joachim Low has midfield options that would have any other manager dripping with envy, and will surely place a lot of emphasis on this part of the pitch. A lot rests on the shoulders of Mario Gomez, the only typical number nine striker selected, with Low perhaps opting to emulate Spain's success in 2012 with a striker-less formation as a plan 'B' option. They have a very good manager at the helm and they will be disappointed if they don't reach the finals.

Spain

After a shambolic showing in the last World Cup, Spain need a good run in this competition to prove the doubters wrong and defend their crown. Already Vicente del Bosque has omitted some notable luminaries including Fernando Torres, Diego Costa and Juan Mata, all of which would get into most of the other national squads. Similar to Germany, Spain have loads of midfield options with Koke and Saul Niguez in particular having very good seasons. Aritz Aduriz of Bilbao may be 35 years old, but he still knows where the goal is - 36 goals in all competitions this season for the Basque side - and correctly gets ahead of Costa on current form. With Czech Republic, Turkey and Croatia completing Group D, Spain will need to be focus or else face a tricky tie against Belgium or Italy in the Round of 16. Particularly after the early exit in the World Cup, Spain have a point to prove and certainly have the players to do so.

Belgium

Having been labelled as dark horses at the last World Cup, many pundits were slightly underwhelmed with their performance after losing in the quarter finals to eventual finalists, Argentina. I believe they gave as good as they got but that experience, in what was the first their first appearance at a tournament since 2002, will serve them well going into Euro 2016. Kevin de Bruyne has been in fine form this season for Manchester City, similarly Spurs pair Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld have been stalwarts for their club and helped guide them to a third placed finish in the league and conceded the least amount of goals along with Manchester United. Despite a relatively young squad, only 3 players over the age of 30, they do not lack experience. One notable absentee is Vincent Kompany whose groin injury in the Champions League tie against Real Madrid has ruled him out of the tournament. Even though the Belgians appear the weakest out of the sides mentioned, their attacking prowess and defensive solidity will give them confidence and they will fancy themselves against Europe's elite.

Italy
The Italians always seem to show up for the international competitions. In qualifying, they posted a decent record, winning seven games and drawing three pipping Croatia to the top spot in Group H. Both Italy and Belgium have a difficult group with consisting of Sweden and the Republic of Ireland who will be no pushovers and have the ability to spring a shock. Defensively Italy have been very solid over the years with Leonardo Bonucci continuing his international career at centre back. Stephan El Shaarawy has had such a promising career stunted by injuries, but at only 23, he still has the time to assert himself in the main side. Antonio Conte has called up Lorenzo Insigne and Jorginho off the back of very good domestic campaigns with Napoli. Not many people will bet on Italy doing much in this tournament, particularly with their talisman Marco Verratti injured, but with the know-how and the professionalism that we associate with the Italians, don't bet against them causing a few upsets.

Which of these sides will be lifting the trophy on the 10th July, or will it be someone entirely different? Feel free to leave your opinions as to who you think will win.

Red Bull's Global Football Empire

Most people are aware of the vested interest in motorsport, particularly Formula One, of the famous energy drink company, Red Bull, however it's the football that has been grabbing the headlines recently.

With a budget exceeding every other side in the 2. Bundesliga by almost €10m it is perhaps no surprise that RB Leipzig have won promotion to the top tier of German football, just six years after the club was 'formed'. This promotion could launch Red Bull's 11 year old football empire into the stratosphere.

RasenBallsport Leipzig differs from most of the other clubs in Germany as it is owned by the energy drink company, Red Bull contrary to the fan-ownership model ubiquitous in German football. The club was formed in 2009 when Red Bull purchased the playing licence of fifth division side, SSV Markranstadt and have swiftly sailed through the divisions since then. RB Leipzig won the 2012-13 German fourth tier without losing a single game and became the first team since the introduction of 3. Liga (third tier) to win promotion after only one season. Even with the wealthy company financing them it is an achievement to revel in.

An Emil Forsberg goal coupled with an own goal gave the side from Saxony a 2-0 win over Karlsruher on Sunday to secure an automatic promotion spot to the Bundesliga. Like with many newly promoted sides, the summer transfer window with be crucial to determine whether the side will remain in the top tier next season. Bild newspaper is already reporting that the club are looking to spend heavily with Basel's Breel Embolo and Kevin Volland among the rumours. Despite guiding the side to promotion, manager, Ralf Ragnick has stepped back from his managerial role but will remain at the club as the Director of Football. Instead, the reigns have been handed to Ralf Hasenhuttl who successfully kept Ingolstadt in the division this season.

Recently, FourFourTwo published a feature article in their monthly magazine on the unusual German club, featuring very strong opinions of other German supporters. Many claim that the club break the '50+1' rule set for the clubs in the German leagues. The 50+1 rule ensures that the majority of the club cannot be owned by a private investor, but instead by members that pay an annual fee. Up to 49% of the club can be owned by an investor, while the rest is distributed between paying members, giving them the power to veto crucial issues decided by the investor if it goes against the morals of the club e.g.. ticket pricing. While RB Leipzig aren't breaching the rule, it's safe to say that it is being seriously stretched. Compared to the 200,000 members of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich each paying around €50-€100 per annum, Die Bullen, have only 11 members paying a princely €800 a year. Oh and they all work for Red Bull.

They're not the only team that Red Bull has a vented interest in. The worldwide company also own New York Red Bulls of the MLS and Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian top tier. In a similar way to which RB Leipzig was formed, Red Bull bought the paying licence of Austria Salzburg, immediately changing the badge, name and kit from violet and white to one resembling a can of the energy drink with the logo splashed across the front of the jersey. Obviously, the supporters of the original club were not too pleased about this decision so decided to set up a new team SV Austria Salzburg currently plying their trade in the second tier of Austrian football.

Despite being widely hated in the footballing world, the unusual model has brought a plethora of success to the Austrian outfit - seven league titles in ten years - and has been greatly appreciated by the fans who stuck around. In an interview with City A.M. in April 2015, a member of the Red Bull Salzburg fan group, 'the Raging Bulls' commented that "it was more of a rescue that a takeover" and that "the club was more professional and the communication of the fans is excellent." Before the takeover, the club as struggling both physically and financially. Red Bull are also in charge of various clubs in lower divisions of Austrian football, acting as feeder clubs to the main 'project' in Salzburg.

New York Red Bulls have not been as successful as their cousins in Austria, winning two Supporters' Shield and the Eastern Conference regular season four times. In Brazil a club was set up in the state of Sao Paulo in 2007. In the nine years the club has been in existence, it has grown to feature in the top flight of the Sao Paulo State Championship as well as finishing runners up in the Copa Paulista in their inaugural season.

There were rumours of a potential takeover of a club in England, either in the Premier League or Championship, most recently as 2014, with clubs such as Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Everton touted as future fizzy drink clubs. However these rumours were soon quashed with assistant sporting director, Lisa Hohensinn stating, "Red Bull will not make any investments in English football clubs." Even with this denial reports always surface from time to time stating about an English takeover. It would change the outlook of English football if these reports ever did come to fruition.

Red Bull largely started to invest in football clubs as a form of marketing and to attach their product to successful brand that they created. In 2011, Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz said, "We are developing RB Leipzig with the aim of playing in the Bundesliga in three to five years. We also want to get into the Champions League and be successful there." With one half of this statement achieved, the new franchise can set their sights on future domestic successes and eventual European glory. No doubt the Head of Global Football Operations, Oliver Mintzlaff, has had many dreams about total total domination in the football world.

While the model is not proving too popular among the 'traditional' football fans, it is undoubtedly getting some reward out of their efforts. Their Austrian outfit remain the most successful outfit with New York Red Bulls close behind. Leipzig have the potential to be big, due to the profile of the league that they are playing in, and an appearance in the Champions League may just be around the corner. This is just the beginning for Red Bull's Global Football Empire.