Champions League Final Game Time Thread: Juventus vs. Real Madrid

No more counting down. No more wondering how many days are left until the Champions League final takes place. No more waiting. No more ... no more.

The day of reckoning is here.

The day for Juventus to try and win Europe’s biggest prize is here.

The day to win it for Gigi is here.

Juventus. Real Madrid. Champions League final. Ninety minutes of game time from now we could be watching Italy’s best team be crowned the best team in Europe. It sounds too good to be true sometimes, but it’s a definite possibility that Gigi Buffon will get his long-awaited chance to hoist the Champions League trophy with those lovely big ears above his head for the first time in his career.

And what a lovely sight that would be.

Juventus has the chance to make this really, really good season, one that has seen them win the domestic double once again, into a truly phenomenal campaign. Winning the Champions League was always something the club wanted, but this season they truly targeted it. They wanted to see a deep run take place, not just make the knockout rounds where they bow out in the Round of 16 or the quarterfinals.

We’re so close to seeing that vision, that goal, become a reality.

SO, SO FREAKING CLOSE, YOU GUYS.

This is what we’ve waited so long to see take place. Since Juve last lifted the trophy in 1996. Since the 2003 loss to Milan. Since the loss two years ago to that machine otherwise known as Barcelona. (YEAH BUT WHO BEAT BARCA THIS SEASON, HUH?)

Now the opportunity is here.

And gosh-dangit, Juventus needs to win this. For Pavel Nedved. For Alessandro Del Piero. For Gigi Buffon. For everybody who has given so much to this club.

It’s time, dammit. It’s time to win the whole damn thing.

MATCH INFO

Location: National Stadium of Wales, Cardiff, Wales

Kick-off time: 8:45 p.m. local time in Italy; 7:45 p.m. in the United Kingdom; 2:45 p.m. on the East Coast; 11:45 a.m. on the West Coast

STARTING LINEUPS

Juventus starting XI (4-2-3-1/3-4-2-1): Gianluigi Buffon; Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini; Dani Alves, Sami Khedira, Miralem Pjanic, Alex Sandro; Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic; Gonzalo Higuain

Juventus bench: Neto, Medhi Benatia, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Claudio Marchisio, Kwadwo Asamoah, Juan Cuadrado, Mario Lemina

Real Madrid starting XI (4-3-1-2): Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Isco; Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid bench: Kiko Casilla, Danilo, Nacho, Matteo Kovacic, Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, Alvaro Morata

WATCH IT

TV: FOX, FOX Sports Deportes (United States); beIN SPORTS Canada, TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5 (Canada); BT Sport 2, BT Sport 4K UHD (United Kingdom); PremiumSport HD (Italy)

Online/Mobile: fuboTV, Fox Sports GO, Fox Soccer 2GO (United States); beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada, fuboTV Canada (Canada); BT Sport Live Streaming (United Kingdom); Premium Play (Italy)

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