Barcelona and Juventus both enjoy possession. The former side was the top possession team in all of Spain, controlling the ball 69.7 percent of the time. In Europe, Barcelona was second only to Bayern Munich in possession, holding the ball 60.7 percent of the time.

Not to be outdone, Juventus was the fifth highest possessing team in the Champions League with 56.4 percent of ball retention; the team was also the fourth highest possessing squad in Italy, holding the ball 57.3 percent of the time.

As might be imagined, neither team will want to be without the ball during the Champions League final, putting a greater onus on midfielders to hold possession. But which side holds the stronger midfield core?

Barcelona

In the 4-3-3 formation, it is likely that the midfield trio will consist of Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets. Xavi Hernandez, the most dominant ball possessor in the history of the sport, will likely be on the bench for most of this encounter, but could provide some added punch in the game's late moments if it is needed.

Regardless, Busquets is the man for not only keeping the ball, but also retaining it. He is second on the team in tackles per game (2.9) but ninth in committing fouls, emphasizing just how good he is on the defensive side of the ball. He is also the team's second most frequent passer with 67.2 passes per game. For some context, he is the third most frequent passer in all of Spain behind his own teammate Jordi Alba and Roberto Trashorras of Rayo Vallecano.

The other two are more essential for creating offense with Rakitic averaging 1.1 key passes per game and contributing seven assists in domestic competition. Iniesta averages fewer passes per game, but his game is more predicated on using his superior dribbling to retain possession and set up other players. He is not as agile as he once was, but he is just as effective as ever.

Juventus

In the 4-3-1-2 formation, the Italian side utilizes four midfielders with one man behind the two forwards. The most common combination of late has included Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal in the hole behind the forwards.

That provides the team with width in the middle of the pitch as well as providing a major headache for the opposition's main defensive midfielder, in this case Busquets. His feistiness and aggression is sure to cause Barcelona headaches. Just ask Sergio Ramos about covering the Chilean in the first leg of the semifinal.

Pogba and Pirlo are unpredictable, with the latter being able to create from nothing using a wide arsenal of short and long passes. Pogba is terrific at retaining possession, but he has had an unstable run of late. If he is at his best, he might be the most dominant midfielder in the entire final.

Of course there is always the possibility Massimiliano Allegri opts for a 3-5-2 formation as he did against Lazio in the recent Cup final. That would allow him to clog the midfield, closing off space and outnumbering Barcelona's trio. It also allows him to put an extra defender to take care of Barcelona's forward trio and allow Patrice Evra and Stephan Lichtsteiner to move up and attack on the flanks.

Allegri opted for the 4-3-1-2 against Real Madrid so it is possible he takes the risk in one leg against Barcelona. Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how he manages his squad for this crucial encounter.

Edge: Barcelona's squad has the experience, but Pogba is a game changer and Pirlo is peerless. This one is as even as it comes.

The Entire Series Thus Far

Comparing Midfielders

Comparing Goalies

Comparing Defenders

5 Reasons Why Juventus Wins

5 Reasons Why Barcelona Wins