DENVER -- Nikola Jokic got a triple-double in his NBA Finals debut, Jamal Murray scored 26 points and the Denver Nuggets had little trouble with the cold-shooting Miami Heat on the way to a 104-93 win in Game 1 on Thursday night.

Jokic finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who waited 47 years to make the finals and didn't disappoint. Aaron Gordon added 16 points and Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 for Denver, which trailed for all of 34 seconds and eventually led by as many as 24.

Bam Adebayo finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which shot 41% for the game -- 33% from 3-point range. Gabe Vincent scored 19, Haywood Highsmith had 18 and Jimmy Butler added 13 for the Heat.

Game 2 is in Denver on Sunday night.

Miami opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run, cutting an 84-63 deficit to start the final period down to 84-74. The Heat actually got within nine on a 3-pointer by Highsmith with 2:34 left, but no closer and there wasn't any doubt, either.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone gave his team a pop quiz in shootaround Thursday morning, peppering them with questions about the game plan and what had to be done in the most important game to date in franchise history.

They had all the answers then. Had them all at game time, too. They were the team with minimal NBA Finals experience, only two players having been to the title round before, and yet they looked right at home before the home crowd in Game 1.

Jokic became the second player in the last 25 years -- LeBron James was the other, in 2017 -- to have 10 assists by halftime of a finals game. He had 10 points and 10 assists by the break, and Denver was up 59-42 after the first two quarters.

That wasn't good for Miami. Nor was this: The Nuggets were in full control and Jokic had taken only three shots.

And this part was worse: The Heat just couldn't shoot. At all. Or at least, not until Denver was too far ahead to catch. Max Strus was 0-for-10 through three quarters, 0-for-9 on 3-pointers. Caleb Martin -- who narrowly missed out on winning the MVP award of the Eastern Conference finals -- was 1 for 7.

DENVER -- NBA commissioner Adam Silver indicated that he has reached a decision regarding the league office's looming disciplinary action against Memphis Grizzlies superstar guard Ja Morant but would wait until after a champion has been crowned in the Finals to announce the punishment.

The Grizzlies suspended Morant on May 14, pending league review, after a video on social media circulated showing the All-Star brandishing a firearm. The NBA suspended Morant for eight games after a similar incident in March, after Morant traveled to New York to meet with Silver and other league officials to discuss the issue.

During his annual news conference before the NBA Finals opener, Silver said the "history of prior acts" and "the individual player's history" would be considered when assessing what discipline is appropriate. this time.

"We've uncovered a fair amount of additional information, I think, since I was first asked about the situation," Silver said Thursday. "I will say we probably could have brought it to a head now, but we made the decision, and I believe the players association agrees with us, that it would be unfair to these players and these teams in the middle of the series to announce the results of that investigation.

"Given that we're of course in the offseason, he has now been suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies indefinitely, so nothing would have changed anyway in the next few weeks. It seemed better to park that at the moment, at least any public announcement, and my sense now is that shortly after the conclusion of the Finals we will announce the outcome of that investigation."

Asked if Morant's eight-game suspension was too light in hindsight, Silver said that Morant came across as "heartfelt and serious" during their March meeting.

"I guess in hindsight, I don't know," he said. "If it had been a 12-game suspension instead of an eight-game suspension, would that have mattered? I know it seemed based on precedent, and he's represented, and we want to be fair in terms of the league, it seemed appropriate at the time. That's all I can say. Maybe by definition to the extent we've all seen the video that it appears he's done it again, I guess you could say maybe not.

"But I don't think we yet know what it will take to change his behavior. Same thing I said at the time: He seems to be a fine young man. In terms of my dealings with him, I think he's clearly made some mistakes, but he's young, and I'm hoping now -- once we conclude at the end of our process what the appropriate discipline is, that it's not just about the discipline, it's about now what we, the players association, his team and he and the people around him are going to do to create better circumstances going forward."

Some other significant issues Silver addressed Thursday:

Investigated ref not at Finals

Veteran referee Eric Lewis was not among the 12 officials assigned to work the Finals because of the league office's investigation into his social media activity.

The league is looking into whether Lewis used a "burner" account on Twitter to defend himself and other officials from critiques, which would be a violation of league policy.

"We decided that [because the] investigation was ongoing and it remains ongoing that it wouldn't be appropriate for him to work in these Finals," Silver said. "I don't know what the ultimate conclusion will be. We'll see where the facts take us."

Local TV conundrum

Several NBA teams, including the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets, have had major problems with local television audiences due to disputes between regional sports networks and cable companies as well as other carriers.

Silver referred to this problem as "a terrible issue" with no simple solution, noting that it could be addressed as part of the NBA's negotiations with its national television partners over the two years remaining on that deal.

"It makes no sense, and it's on us to fix it," Silver said.

Postseason awards game minimum?

On the 65-game minimum for players to be eligible for postseason awards in the future, Silver said: "We're putting an incentive in place for players to play more games in the regular season. There's no magic to the 65, but we are trying to take into account games of course that are going to be missed because there are injuries and maybe even occasionally it's necessary for a player to rest.

"But, again, this was something we negotiated with the players' association. Everybody has an interest in the league putting its best foot forward in a highly competitive regular season."

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Cleveland Guardians will place starting pitcher Cal Quantrill on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, creating one opening in the rotation with the impending return of Aaron Civale and Triston McKenzie from their injuries.

Manager Terry Francona said before the team's 7-6 loss to Minnesota Thursday that Quantrill traveled back to Cleveland for an MRI exam following a season-worst outing Tuesday at Baltimore. He gave up eight runs on eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. Francona said he expects Quantrill, who has a 5.61 ERA in 11 starts, to be out for "a number of days, not weeks."

"He thought he could kind of power through it, but he said, 'Hey, my value is staying out there and giving you some innings and keeping you in games, and I'm not doing that,'" Francona said.

Civale, who took his first two turns of the season before being shelved with a strained left oblique muscle in his midsection, was previously announced as the Friday starter against the Twins.

McKenzie, who has not appeared in a game yet this year after straining the teres major muscle in his right shoulder at the end of spring training, will take the mound Sunday to finish the four-game series and make his 2023 debut, Francona said.

McKenzie had a breakout 2022 season with a 2.96 ERA in 191 1/3 innings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BOSTON -- Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale left Thursday's 8-2 win against the Cincinnati Reds early because of left shoulder soreness, the team announced.

Sale exited in the fourth inning with two out after walking Nick Senzel, with Boston trailing 1-0. He struck out six batters in 3⅔ innings, allowing five hits and a walk on 59 pitches.

Manager Alex Cora said after the game that Sale will get an MRI on Friday.

The 34-year-old Sale has struggled to stay healthy during the majority of his time in Boston, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge in Houston ruled in favor of Major League Baseball and four of its teams Thursday, forcing Diamond Sports Group, the RSN operator that airs broadcasts under the name Bally Sports, to fully pay the contracts in question.

Diamond, navigating through bankruptcy proceedings, had argued it should pay the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers less than what the current deals call for, noting that the rapid rate of cord-cutting throughout the United States has significantly devalued the assets. But Judge Chris Lopez, presiding over a case that lasted two full days and included prolonged testimony from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, ultimately stated that "the contract rate is the right answer here."

The decision likely set a crucial precedent that undercuts Diamond's hope to lower costs by decreasing the value of previously agreed upon contracts, particularly with 28 NBA and NHL teams also under its purview.

"Profitability is certainly decreasing for each team," Lopez said as part of his ruling. "But again, this doesn't mean that the contract rate and those fees under those contracts is not reasonable."

The Twins, Guardians, D-backs and Rangers had already been paid 75% of what they were owed as a means to hold them over until the conclusion of the hearing. Lopez, in opting not to adjust their contracts, ruled that they can hold on to those funds and that Diamond needs to pay the remaining 25% "in the ordinary course of business." Lopez, who described his ruling as a "very difficult decision," did not set a deadline for when Diamond must decide whether to keep or hold on to those contracts.

Diamond, a Sinclair subsidiary, took on more than $8 billion of debt to purchase the broadcasting rights for 42 teams across MLB, NBA and NHL from Fox in 2019, then gradually suffered through the proliferation of over-the-top streaming services and was forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in March. Diamond owned the rights to 14 major league teams but lost the San Diego Padres earlier this week when it did not make its scheduled rights-fee payment by the end of a grace period.

MLB has been running Padres broadcasts since Wednesday, offering the games blackout-free through its streaming service, MLB.TV, and on different channels through various cable companies. The league has promised to do the same for any other team that falls out of Diamond's purview. The judge's ruling could push Diamond to shed the D-backs, Guardians, Twins and Rangers in the near future, and perhaps also some of the other nine major league teams under its ownership.

"MLB appreciates the ruling from the federal bankruptcy court in Houston requiring Diamond to pay the full contractual rate to clubs," the league wrote in a statement. "As always, we hope Diamond will continue to broadcast games and meet its contractual obligations to clubs. As with the Padres, MLB will stand ready to make games available to fans if Diamond fails to meet its obligations."

Diamond has long stated that it needs to secure streaming rights in order to prop up its Bally Sports+ app and run a more sustainable business, but it currently holds the streaming rights to only five major league teams: the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins. MLB has shown no interest in providing streaming rights for the others. The two-day hearing, which lasted a total of about 20 hours, underscored the hostility that has festered between the two sides over the past four years.

"I am asking the parties to talk," Lopez said. "I'm not asking the parties to agree -- I'm asking the parties to talk. That's the request. I'm not going to force you into the room, but I am asking you to talk."

During his near two-hour testimony Wednesday, Manfred stated that MLB promised Bally-owned teams they would generate at least 80% of the revenue they were expecting through their broadcast deals in 2023; whatever is not ultimately paid by Diamond will be backstopped by the league. Manfred also said MLB tried to buy the regional sports networks when they were initially for sale but came up about $900 million short of Diamond's winning bid, adding that he would attempt to buy them again if the situation presented itself.

The revelation helped MLB's argument.

"They believe that their rights are valuable, and that they can get as much or more for them, and they're willing to put money on the table for them," Lopez said, alluding to Manfred's testimony. "They just can't."

Britain's Cameron Norrie says he is not distracted by the looming prospect of playing top seed Carlos Alcaraz as he tries to reach the French Open fourth round for the first time.

Spain's Alcaraz plays Canadian 26th seed Denis Shapovalov and the winners of each match will meet in the last 16.

"I saw it's Alcaraz but I'm focused on taking it match by match," said Norrie.

British men's number one Norrie has reached the third round at Roland Garros for the third successive year, following back-to-back wins over French players Benoit Paire and Lucas Pouille.

Norrie is yet to progress past this stage on the Paris clay after defeats by Spanish great Rafael Nadal in 2021 and Russian 21st seed Karen Khachanov last year.

Musetti will provide another stern test for the 27-year-old Briton when they meet third on Court Simonne Mathieu at about 15:00 GMT.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a productive European clay-court swing, having won 10 of his 14 matches and reaching the Barcelona semi-finals.

That run included a three-set comeback win over Norrie, while Musetti also earned a notable victory against 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic to reach the Monte Carlo quarter-finals.

"It's a tough match-up because I'd say his favourite surface is clay," added Norrie, whose best Grand Slam run came when he reached the Wimbledon semi-finals last year.

"He's a great player, really talented and obviously I lost to him last time.

"I lost a bit of concentration and a bit of focus, and my level dropped a lot, but I was able to figure out ways to win points.

"It will be difficult and I'll have to come out with the energy I did against Pouille to have a chance."

What else is happening at Roland Garros on Friday?

Alcaraz, 20, will play Shapovalov in Friday's night session on Court Philippe Chatrier, where third seed Djokovic faces Spanish 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the afternoon.

American third seed Jessica Pegula opens on Chatrier when she plays Belgian 28th seed Elise Mertens at 10:45 BST.

Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka - aiming for back-to-back Grand Slam titles after winning the Australian Open in January - follows against Russian world number 82 Kamilla Rakhimova.

In the doubles, there is more British interest as Neal Skupski, Joe Salisbury and Lloyd Glasspool all play.

Skupski and his Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof, who are the top seeds, play Argentina's Pedro Cachin and China's Yibing Wu, while second seeds Salisbury and American Rajeev Ram face Spanish pair Roberto Carballes Baena and Jaume Munar.

Glasspool plays with American Asia Muhammad in the mixed doubles against French wildcards Estelle Cascino and Dan Added.

Attorneys for Tiger Woods’ former girlfriend have requested a South Florida court to reconsider a ruling that required the two sides to settle a residential dispute in confidential arbitration.

Last month, a Martin Country (Fla.) judge upheld a non-disclosure and acknowledgement agreement between Woods and Erica Herman. But in a filing Wednesday, Herman asked the court to reconsider four issues, including a lack of admissible evidence.

The filing also argued that “the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently held that a party cannot be forced to arbitrate without a finding that she agreed to do so, which means that in this case – with no evidence in the record – arbitration should not be compelled, or, at a minimum, an evidentiary hearing should be held.”

Herman’s attorneys also argued that she never conceded “the existence of an agreement to arbitrate,” but in Judge Elizabeth Metzger’s 11-page ruling last month she held that Herman’s claims of authenticity of the NDA were not enough to force an evidentiary hearing.

Wednesday’s motion claimed Woods’ attorneys were conducting a “trial by ambush” and that the disputed copy of the NDA was not “authenticated” by what they claimed were “hearsay” declarations.

Herman sued Woods and the trust that owns his South Florida mansion for $30 million, the amount of rent she said she would have to pay for a similar piece of beachfront property for six years.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — One of the most anticipated professional debuts in recent memory started as one might have expected. 

"I remember hitting 3-wood on the first hole because I was so nervous and I thinned it so hard and it barely left the ground," Michelle Wie West said Tuesday of her opening tee shot at the 2005 Samsung World Championship. "I was trying not to hit a stinger. I was actually trying to hit it high and it went so low and skipped the grass."

Fast-forward 18 years and things have come full circle. Wie West, who is set to close her career at this year's U.S. Women's Open, is now hosting the LPGA's Mizuho Americas Open. And this week's inaugural edition is being highlighted by Rose Zhang making, arguably, the most notable professional debut on the women's side since Wie West's. 

Zhang stepped up to the par-4 first at Liberty National to begin her pro career at 8:43 a.m. ET, with Wie West watching in the grandstand amongst a modest, yet spirited crowd. However, it was more than what Zhang expected. 

"I was a little surprised that there were people out there,"she said after her round. "It's early in the morning. It's a Thursday. I don't expect anyone to be out here and be like, 'Oh, go Rose.'

"I guess there is a lot of significance to this round for me in particular, but I felt really just loved out there."

Then, contrary to Wie West's first drive as a professional, Zhang smashed her maiden tee shot down the middle of the fairway. 

"I didn't have too many nerves once I started playing," she said. "After that tee shot, I was smooth sailing."

Indeed. Zhang, who forwent her final two years at Stanford last week to turn professional, carded a 2-under 70 and finished the day five strokes off the lead, held by Lauren Hartlage. 

"I think it's great that I started a little bit early," the 20-year-old said. "That really settled the nerves a little bit, just because you wake up and then you start your prep work. But for me, I was just going out there and trying to shoot my best score. 

"There was a lot happening the last couple days, so I really wanted to put myself in position to where I can just go out there, play some golf, and see what I can do."

Sure, there were times when Zhang looked impressionable out there. She missed multiple short putts and carded back-to-back bogeys on holes 14 and 15. But she knows there's still a ways to go. 

"This was definitely a round that could have been better," she said, "and that kind of gets me excited to work on more and to develop my game even further."

However, Zhang also resembled the player who has been the world's top-ranked amateur since 2020 — particularly on the par-5 13th, when she chipped in for birdie from 29 yards after finding the right fairway bunker with her tee shot. 

"That chip went in and I felt cheers, felt roars, and I was just really thankful for everyone to be supporting me out there," she said.

Rose is no stranger to being the center of attention, having won the 2020 U.S. Women's Amateur, the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur, consecutive NCAA Individual titles (the first woman ever to claim that feat) and back-to-back Annika Awards as the nation's best collegiate player. 

But now starting her LPGA journey (she's made 13 tour starts as an amateur), it was business as usual.

"It was just a very smooth round," she said, "Obviously, you're on the biggest stage of golf, but I felt like it was moderately casual."

With all those amateur accolades, there are lofty professional expectations placed upon her. Not that they are weighing on her mind.

"I don't really have to think about other people's expectations," she said. "Like I said before, I think of it as a compliment that they think I'm capable of more."

Modesty is a key part of Zhang's laissez-faire attitude. Others, however, aren't afraid to give Zhang the high praise she's earned.

"There is no better player," Wie West said when asked Tuesday if there's ever been a more talented amateur player than Zhang. 

And it's Zhang's mentality that may set her apart as a professional. 

"She has proved that she's a great golfer and the fact that she can handle herself when the pressure is on her," Wie West said. 

Though she's only 18 holes into her LPGA career, her professional debut left little doubt about why she is anointed as the next great thing. She was calm, cool and collected, beginning with her opening tee shot. And if that's the case every time she tees it up, maybe one day Zhang will be watching the next great prodigy hit her first tee shot at a tournament Zhang hosts. 

But for now, it's Zhang's time to shine — so enjoy the ride. 

Inter Miami have fired head coach Phil Neville, with the team sitting bottom of MLS' Eastern Conference.

Miami suffered a fourth successive MLS loss on Wednesday -- a 1-0 home defeat to the New York Red Bulls -- to leave it languishing in 15th and last place in the Eastern Conference with 15 points from as many games.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Miami said it had also parted ways with assistant coach Jason Kreis. Fellow assistant coach Javier Morales will take over as head coach on an interim basis.

Neville, a former teammate and current business partner of Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, was appointed in January 2021. His tenure ends with a record in MLS of 31W-11D-41L.

"When we appointed Phil we knew he would give Inter Miami his all and I have watched him work incredibly hard and with real commitment towards the ambitions we set out for the club," Beckham said in a club statement. "He and his family embraced Miami and he has devoted himself to the drive to bring success to the city and to our fans.

"Phil has made a real contribution to the culture of our club with his qualities as a leader and knowledge as a coach. Sometimes in this game we have to make the toughest decisions and sadly we feel the time is right to make a change. I want to personally thank Phil for his hard work, his passion for our Club and for his integrity as a person."

Added Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas: "We are and always have been an ambitious Club. Sometimes the path to growth involves difficult decisions and today is one of those moments. We are grateful to Phil for the dedication and tenacity he brought to Inter Miami."

With the team hobbled by financial penalties due to violating MLS roster rules during its inaugural season in 2020, Neville's first campaign ended with an 11th-placed finish in the Eastern Conference to miss out on the playoffs.

The South Florida outfit bounced back the following year as Miami enjoyed its most successful season, finishing sixth. However, the club suffered a comprehensive 3-0 defeat in the first round of the playoffs to New York City FC.

Despite that early exit, Neville signed a new contract following the end of the 2022 season.

Miami began 2023 with two wins, but subsequently went on a run of six consecutive MLS defeats. Though it halted that slide, it proved only a temporary reprieve.

"I would like to thank the Inter Miami CF ownership group for their trust and making me a part of this project; the players and staff for their impressive commitment, dedication and hard work; and the fans for their unwavering support for the Club since day one," Neville said.

"I'm grateful to have played a part in the growth of this Club and wish Inter Miami CF all the best in the future."

Prior to joining Miami, Neville's only previous managerial experience came during a three-year spell as England Women's boss.

In the second year since the Women's Champions League reformat, with plenty of thrills and spills along the way, the field has been cut down to two for Saturday's final in Eindhoven -- and neither Barcelona nor Wolfsburg are strangers to the biggest stage in Europe.

Finishing top of their group, three-time finalists Barcelona emphatically saw off tournament debutantes Roma in the second leg of their quarterfinal after a narrow win in front of a record crowd in Rome. A successful, albeit uncomfortable semifinal against Chelsea followed with Barca's first leg advantage seeing them through after a draw in Catalonia.

Meanwhile, in their eleventh successive season in European competition, German powerhouse, VfL Wolfsburg have reached their sixth final but much like their opposition on Saturday, have often tasted defeat at the hands of reigning champions Lyon. Also finishing top of their group, Wolfsburg did just enough to see off PSG in the quarterfinals before taking Arsenal all the way to extra time in London, squeezing into the final with an aggregated score of 5-4 over the Gunners.

Both teams have evolved from when they met in the quarterfinals of the 2013-14 season -- the last time Wolfsburg lifted the trophy -- when the Catalan club, in just their second season in European competition were soundly beaten 5-0 over the two legs.

It was also the start of a five-game winning streak for Wolfsburg against Spanish opposition as they bested Atletico Madrid twice before crossing paths with Barcelona again in the behind-closed-doors latter stages of the 2019-20 season.

In a season that appeared to be rumbling towards a herculean showdown between the two best teams leading the way in Europe, the COVID pandemic forced the cessation of multiple leagues and an eventual relocating of the knockout rounds to the Basque Country. Ultimately, the continent failed to get its grandstand two-legged semifinal between Wolfsburg and Barcelona but rather a muddled 90-minute tie settled by Barca forward Fridolina Rolfo -- a season before she made the switch from Lower Saxony to Catalonia.

Barcelona would go on to win the 2020-21 season of the competition, with another final played without fans, before they faced Wolfsburg the following season, once again at the semifinal stage. The team in the ascendency in Europe and side hotly tipped for the title, it was Barcelona who again ran the show at the Camp Nou, effectively getting the job done with the 5-1 win in the first leg of their last-four clash. A home rally from the German champions made for a very different second leg, but Wolfsburg's 2-0 win was a long way short of enough.

Now, for the first time, the two will meet in the final, with mutual foe, Olympique Lyonnais -- the French giants responsible for three final defeats for Wolfsburg and two for Barcelona, including last year's showpiece in Turin -- dispatched by Chelsea in the quarterfinals.

Even though both teams have shown weaknesses through the season, coming into the game, Barcelona are the clear favourites, not just for their depth but the sheer strength of their midfield. Whichever mix of Patri Guijarro, Keira Walsh, Ingrid Syrstad Engen, Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas starts, head coach Jonatan Giraldez has an embarrassment of riches in midfield alone. Although Putellas is still on the way back from an ACL injury picked up last summer and is yet to start a game for Barca, the team have barely lost a step of pace by allowing Aitana to get into more advanced attacking positions to directly assist the front line.

A graduate of La Masia who preaches from the Barca tiki-taka scriptures, Aitana is the glue who brings the team together as absentee captain Putellas has been so heralded for in previous seasons. A master of spatial understand and manipulation, Aitana is rarely far from the ball when the Blaugrana are pinging it between each other with neat little passes as they toy with the opposition to advance up the pitch. The 25-year-old has had a hand in 12 of Barcelona's 37 Champions League goals this season.

From their collective strength in possession, Barca enjoy plenty of individual flair in the final third thanks to their front three, a happy mix of Caroline Graham Hansen, Mariona, Rolfo, Geyse, Asisat Oshoala, Salma Paralluelo and Claudia Pina. Even with so many options and different combinations between midfield and attack, the Barcelona style and understanding means Giraldez can chose any combination of players and the team will not look weaker for any personnel changes.

Wolfsburg, regarded as one of the best teams in Europe throughout all of the last decade, have had to adapt to the changing landscape of the game and have lost many of their marquee players to rivals -- such as Graham Hansen to Barcelona and Pernille Harder to Chelsea -- so they can't quite boast the same depth as their final opposition.

Whilst Eindhoven marks Barcelona's third successive Champions League final outing, Wolfsburg have been absent from the last two since 2020 and just four starters from their team remain. Although their bench from the 2020 final looks far more familiar, with all but three of the subs that day in the current squad.

Like Barcelona, Wolfsburg have uncharacteristically faltered at points throughout their season -- both domestically and in European competition -- leading the She Wolves to relinquish the Frauen-Bundesliga title to rivals, Bayern Munich. However, there is plenty the Germans would have learned from the failings of their opposition and indeed, Barcelona's loss in the final last season, when Lyon suffocated Barca's midfield architects is a useful blueprint.

Although Wolfsburg have gotten good at navigating their way through tough ties, as we saw against both PSG and Arsenal, Barcelona are built different. Especially after losing their title to Lyon last year, the Catalans will be out to prove they are the dominant force in Europe. So whether it's a team effort of possession and control or a moment of individual brilliance, Barcelona will be victorious in Eindhoven.