Barcelona cruises past Juventus, 3-1, to win Champions League title

Barcelona won the Champions League on Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Juventus.

Watched by more than 70,000 people in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, Juventus striker Alvaro Morata tied the score, 1-1, after Ivan Rakitic scored early for Barcelona.

Lionel Messi set up Luis Suarez’s goal and Neymar scored in stoppage time with the last kick of the game, helping Barcelona win its fifth European Cup.

Messi, Suarez and Neymar combined for 122 goals this season.

“A magnificent, spectacular day,” Coach Luis Enrique said. “I congratulate my players, a unique group of players, their talent and commitment has been beyond doubt.”

With its first Champions League title since 2011, Barcelona has won European soccer’s top trophy four times in the last decade.

Few will be enjoying the victory more than Suarez.

Barcelona acquired Suarez from Liverpool for a reported $110 million even though the Uruguay striker had been handed a four-month ban by FIFA for biting an opponent at the World Cup. He powered in Barcelona’s second goal in the 68th minute after Messi’s shot was palmed away by goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

“When you come to a team like Barca, you know that you have come to win,” Suarez said. “This is a dream.”

Just like Suarez, Neymar has collected the top prize in club soccer for the first time after two years at Barcelona.

Neymar had a goal disallowed for handball but, with the game going into a seventh minute of stoppage time, the Brazil striker found space to score.

For Juventus there was no third European title, only the unwelcome record of being the first team to lose six finals.

Juventus made Barcelona look anxious initially. It didn’t last long.

So often the provider of goals, Messi delivered a cross-field pass in a goalward advance. It landed at the feet of Jordi Alba, who played in Neymar and the ball was then slipped through to Andres Iniesta.

With a flick, Iniesta squared for Rakitic to score from close range past Buffon.

Had it not been for Buffon’s stretching save at the start of the second half to deny Suarez, Juventus would have been two goals behind.

A back-heel kick by Claudio Marchisio began the move that led to Juventus’ tying goal.

An initial shot from Carlos Tevez was parried by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. But Morata, who scored in both legs of the semifinal against former club Real Madrid, sent the follow-up into the net with ease.

Barcelona was back in front 13 minutes later after launching a counterattack.

Within five minutes of Suarez’s goal, Barcelona was celebrating again, but it was short-lived. Neymar was spotted to have headed the ball onto his hand before it went past Buffon.

But Neymar did have the final say with his late goal.

The victory gave Xavi Hernandez the perfect send-off. The 35-year-old midfielder will play in Qatar for the next three years after spending his entire career at Barcelona.

“Nothing can beat finishing this way,” Hernandez said.