Overcoming early pressure: River came out with a high-pressing game which made life difficult for Barça in the early stages. However, the Catalans eventually found the spaces to carve through the Argentine defence to turn the game in their favour.
The magic of Messi: After missing the semi-final through injury, Messi returned to action with a bang, scoring the first goal and playing a part in the other two.
Suárez’s goalscoring instinct: The Uruguayan showed his predatory instincts in the box, scoring twice in the final just days after his hat-trick against Guangzhou Evergrande in the semi, which handed him the tournament’s Golden Ball award.
The trident’s return: The front three were back in from the start after Neymar and Messi missed the semi-final, and they proved far too much to handle for the River defence as they each put in superb performances.
Security in defence and midfield: Busquets, Iniesta and Rakitic dictated the tempo of the game while Pique led his defensive colleagues to a faultless display at the back which was rarely threatened by the opposition.
