JUVENTUS 1-3 BARCELONA:RAKITIC,SUAREZ,NEYMAR STRIKE TO SEAL TREBLE FOR CATALANS.

 
By AFP

BERLIN

Luis Suarez and Neymar scored second half goals to
 give Barcelona a 3-1 Champions League final victory
 over Juventus on Saturday and make the Spaniards
the first team to twice win the European treble.

Luis Enrique capped his first season as Barcelona's
head coach by matching Pep Guardiola's feat from
the 2008/09 season when the Catalans captured the
European, Spanish league and cup titles.

An early goal by Barca's Ivan Rakitic was cancelled
out by Juventus' ex-Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata,
who equalised on 55 minutes.

Barcelona's players celebrate with the trophy after beating
Juventus 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League Final match
 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6, 2015.
 PHOTO | OLIVIER MORIN |

AFP

Barcelona's
Croatian midfielder
 Ivan Rakitic (left)
celebrates with
Barcelona's Brazilian
 forward
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior after scoring
during the UEFA Champions League
 Final match between Juventus and FC
Barcelona at the Olympic
Stadium in Berlin on June 6, 2015.
PHOTO | ODD ANDERSEN | AFP

Barcelona's Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic (left) is
congratulated by teammates after scoring during the
UEFA Champions League Final match between Juventus
and FC Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin
 on June 6, 2015. PHOTO | OLIVIER MORIN |

AFP

Barcelona's Uruguayan forward
Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring
 the during the UEFA
 Champions League Final
match between Juventus
and FC Barcelona at the
Olympic
Stadium in Berlin
 on June 6, 2015. PHOTO | LLUIS GENE | AFP

Barcelona's Brazilian forward
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior
reacts after his goal was
 disallowed for a handball
during the UEFA Champions
 League Final match between
 Juventus and FC Barcelona
 at the Olympic Stadium
 in Berlin on June 6, 2015.
PHOTO | LLUIS GENE | AFP

Barcelona's Brazilian forward Neymar da Silva Santos Junior
celebrates after the UEFA Champions League Final match
 between Juventus and FC Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium
 in Berlin on June 6, 2015. PHOTO | PATRIK STOLLARZ |
 AFP

But Suarez put the game beyond the Italian champions with a
 68th minute strike off a rebound at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
 Neymar added the third with the last kick of the game in the 97th minute.

Juventus suffered the indignation of becoming the first team to lose
six European Cup finals, 30 years after winning the trophy for the first
 time amidst the tragedy of the Heysel Stadium disaster.

This was the fifth time Barcelona have been crowned European champions
 and it is their fourth Champions League title in the last decade after their
 2006, 2009 and 2011 triumphs.

Following their 2009 treble, Barcelona join Celtic, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven,
Manchester United, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich on the exclusive
 list of teams to have won the treble.

Despite brief moments of magic, Lionel Messi failed to become the
 first player to score in three Champions League finals as he equalled
Dutch star Clarence Seedorf's tally of four winners' medals.

Barcelona showed early nerves with two uncustomary mistakes in
defence straight from kick-off before Rakitic gave the Catalan giants
the lead with just four minutes gone.

Neymar fed his captain Andres Iniesta from the left wing and the
 Spain international squared for Rakitic to drill home from close-range
past Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon.

Juventus' Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal (left) and Barcelona's midfielder
Andres Iniesta vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League Final at
 the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6, 2015. PHOTO | OLIVIER
 MORIN | AFP

Juventus' Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal controls the ball during the
 UEFA Champions League Final match between Juventus and FC
Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6, 2015. PHOTO
 | LLUIS GENE | AFP

Juve came back into the game midway through the first-half, but Suarez
 forced Buffon, who failed to claim a winners' medal at the 12th attempt,
into another save as it finished 1-0 at the break.

SUAREZ SWOOPS

The Spaniards picked up where they left off in the second half when
 Rakitic fed Suarez, who forced Buffon into a diving save with 48 minutes
 gone before firing over moments later.

Messi, who showed glimpses of his brilliance with a first-half darting run
through the Juve defence, then fired wide after exchanging two quick
 passes in the build-up move.

Juve got the equaliser they had threatened when defender
 Stephan Lichtsteiner's cross found Carlos Tevez, whose
shot was parried by Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen,
only for Morata to rifle home the loose ball on 55 minutes.

Juventus' Spanish forward Alvaro Morata (centre) celebrates
with teammates after scoring during the UEFA Champions
 League Final match between Juventus and FC Barcelona at
the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6, 2015.
PHOTO | OLIVER LANG | AFP

It was the ex-Real striker's first goal against
 Barcelona despite four years at the Bernabeu having left Madrid last year.

The goal breathed life back into Juve's ambitions, but it was a touch of Messi
magic which led to the decisive goal.

The Argentina international attacked the Juve defence with a mazy run and
 although Buffon blocked his shot, Suarez fired home the rebound on 68 minutes.

Neymar looked to have headed Barca's third just moments later, but
Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir spotted the ball hit his arm on its way into the Juve goal.

Xavi Hernandez came on for his final game in the Barca shirt in the dyings stages
 as he made history with a record 151st Champions League appearance before
joining Qatari side Al Sadd next season.

The scene was set for Neymar to cap his first Champions League final with
Barcelona's third just before the final whistle.

juventus' Swiss defender Stephan Lichtsteiner (left) discusses with
 Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir (centre) during the UEFA Champions
League Final match between Juventus and FC Barcelona at the
 Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6, 2015. PHOTO |
ODD ANDERSEN | AFP

Barcelona's coach Luis Enrique celebrates after the UEFA Champions
League Final match between Juventus and FC Barcelona at the
Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6, 2015.
 PHOTO | PATRIK STOLLARZ | AFP

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