The 2016 Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will be the ninth European club showpiece to be contested at Milan’s San Siro.
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, to give the famous stadium its real name, rather than that of the area in which it is situated, is hosting its third decider in the competition’s post-1992 guise this year.
Previously, it has also been the stage for one first-leg and three second legs during the nineties, when UEFA Cup finals were two-legged and two European Cup trophy tussles in 1965 and 1970.
Finales played out on the Milanese ground’s hallowed turf seem to have developed a distinct personality down the years – one that shares plenty with time-worn Italian football stereotypes
Beginning when Internazionale bested Benfica 1-0 to become champions of Europe in 1965 under ‘Catenaccio’ inventor Helenio Herrera, just one of the eight European showpieces at San Siro have seen more than two normal-time goals.
Even then, AC Milan’s 2007 Champions League victory over Liverpool needed a brace of strikes inside the last ten minutes to thwart under-2.5 goals backers.
It’s just 57/100 that nets bulge fewer than three times inside 90 minutes when Real do battle with their cross-capital cousins in Italy.
Two of the four previous San Siro deciders that crowned kings of Europe were level at the end of normal time, just as the Madrid outfits were in the Champions League final of 2014 – another additional half hour can be backed at 21/10.
Despite a history of drum-tight European deciders at the home of the Milan powerhouses, three of the last four have now seen both sides find the net.
Both teams to score – Yes remains an outsider in the BTS betting for this year’s Champions League showpiece at 19/20, with bwin going just 3/4 that one or other finalist fails to find the net.
