Seth Bennett
BBC World Service reporter in Madrid:

The atmosphere in Madrid has been building all day. Over the last two hours the fans have been gathering outside the Bernabeu, singing, chanting and setting off fireworks waiting for the screening of the match. This place is expected to be close to a sell out come kick off.

Image source, BBC Sport

John Bennett
BBC World Service in Turin

Image source, Reuters

I'm surrounded by 40,000 Juventus fans on the Piazza San Carlo, in front of one of two giant screens that have been set up in the city. The other one is in a former steel factory.

It's been a frenetic atmosphere here since lunchtime when people started claiming their spots at the front of the square. Whenever a Juve player appears on the screen the place goes crazy. When Cristiano Ronaldo pops up there are boos and jeers. This is where the Juventus players would celebrate tomorrow IF they beat Real Madrid. The Juve fans around me may not be going home for quite some time.

The Real Madrid bus has pulled in to the stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo looks unimpressed. Just another day.

Italian football might have looked very different over the last two decades if an impressionable 12-year-old had not been captivated by the Cameroon goalkeeper at the 1990 World Cup.

Gianluigi Buffon played as an attacker back then but the performances of Thomas N'Kono - playing in his third World Cup - inspired him to try life as a goalkeeper.

"All the eyes of the world were on players like Diego Maradona and Gary Lineker, but I was mesmerised by Thomas N'Kono," said Buffon.

"It was the things he did for Cameroon during that World Cup that inspired me to become a goalkeeper myself."

Read more on Buffon and N'Kono here

We should find out if Gareth Bale is on the bench - or in the Real team - soon.

On European nights the team is often published at around 18:30 BST.

In or out?

Mina Rzouki
European football expert on BBC Radio 5 live

Juventus are worried about Gareth Bale being on the bench. Isco can cause a lack of defensive organisation but if Bale comes on when they are tiring, he could cause real problems.

Alex Sandro is gifted but he can switch off and that is who Bale will come up against. There could be mistakes, and Bale and his pace could be the difference maker.

Image source, Getty Images

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Cardiff

Not only has the city centre been vibrant with thousands of Juventus and Real Madrid supporters today - but Cardiff's Principality Stadium looks magnificent ahead of this Champions League final.

The roof is closed and the sound is already echoing around while the pitch looks in perfect condition. All the ingredients for a classic here in Wales.

I think it's fair to say that letting Dani Alves leave was a mistake by Barcelona.

A rare one, sure. But an error...

Graham Hunter
La Liga journalist on BBC Radio 5 live

Dani Alves is one of the most colourful, passionate, interesting and anarchic man I've ever met. Being around him is a joy. He was kind of unhappy when I went to see him in Turin earlier this year. He called Juve a small club.

He is now loved by the Juventus players. There has been a progression. You have to accept that his means of defending is to take the game to the opposition. It's not like watching Maldini or Baresi.

He may mess about and dresses like a mix between Fred Astaire and T-Rex but he has a perpetual hunger to train, to win.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Another final, another strong display form Gigi Buffon, another defeat.

Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar all beat the veteran to leave Alvaro Morata's strike as a mere consolation and make it a record six defeats in European Cup finals for Juve.

BBC Radio 5 live

5 live radio coverage starts at 19:00 BST as Will Perry brings you all of the build-up, before full match commentary from kick-off with Alan Green and Alan Shearer.

My memories of the 2003 final are slightly sketchy - I had just finished my first year at university you see - but I recall it being a cagey game at Old Trafford.

Juve and AC Milan drew 0-0 in a game of few chances.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte did hit the crossbar, and Gigi Buffon made a fine save to deny Pippo Inzaghi, but five of the first seven penalties were missed before Andriy Shevchenko beat Buffon to give Milan the trophy.

A few excitable people on social media are now speculating that Gareth Bale WILL start tonight.

That would be a turn up for the books and go down like a lead balloon with the Madrid media and some fans. Isco has been the man of late.

From left to right: Legend, massive legend, free-kick legend, ultra legend. beyond legend, legend, legend, won-it-with-three-clubs legend...

Image source, Getty Images

Shane Daly: If Alan Shearer had joined United in 1996 he may have won the European cup, but then again, Andy Cole wouldn't have joined.

Cole was already at Old Trafford by then wasn't he? But your point stands. Shearer was one of Europe's best in the late 90s.

There's a lot to really like about that video.

The kits, the hair, the pitch, the crowd!

But look at the actual standard of football. The game has come on leaps and bounds. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Football may have been a better experience back then. But as a sport it's a different level altogether.

10 March 1971: European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final first leg

Brian Clark secured immortal status at Ninian Park when his unforgettable winner beat the great Real Madrid 1-0 in Cardiff City's finest hour in front of their own fans.

The striker's 31st-minute header from teenager Nigel Rees' pinpoint cross secured victory in front of an estimated 50,000 fans in the first leg of the European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final.

Cardiff could have scored more and the South Wales Echo proclaimed: "Whatever happens in Madrid, nobody can take anything away from the players for their wonderful show."