Chelsea boss Tuchel admits being wary of in-form Man City but insists Londoners can close the gap on English Premier League holders in tonight’s all-important Champions League finale
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are 90 minutes away from the trophy they so desperately crave but a Chelsea side transformed in recent months stand in their way in Saturday’s all-English Champions League final in Porto, the Portuguese city which was named as a last-minute host. It is the third final of Europe’s elite club competition to be played between two EPL sides, and the second in just three seasons, and so this is a match-up that underlines the strength of the cash-rich English game.
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Not so long ago, the idea of Chelsea and City meeting in the biggest club game of all would have been laughable. Their only previous encounter in a final came in 1986 in the short-lived Full Members Cup, when Chelsea won 5-4 at Wembley.
Chelsea’s Jorginho (left) tackles Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling during their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium last month. Pic/Getty Images
That was before the Premier League and modern Champions League existed, before Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 and before the Abu Dhabi takeover of City in 2008.
Advantage Blues
The west London club had a head-start in terms of becoming big-spenders and as a club they have the experience of this stage before, having beaten Bayern Munich on penalties on their own turf in the 2012 final. They have also won the Europa League twice since then.
City, though, have never made it this far but are finally here, after 13 years of enormous investment from the Gulf and four previous years of disappointment under Guardiola.
‘Similar team’
“We are quite a similar team to what we were in the past when we were knocked out. The margins and little details this year fell down on our side whereas before it was the opposite,” said Guardiola, who is looking to win his third Champions League as a coach, a decade after his last victory with Barcelona. After romping to the Premier League title, their third in four seasons, and having also won the League Cup this season, a City side starring the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Ruben Dias are the clear favourites at the Estadio do Dragao.
Chelsea have beaten City twice in the last six weeks, first in the FA Cup semi-final and then at the Etihad Stadium in the league. “I could not expect a tougher opponent,” Guardiola said.
They have been transformed since Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as coach in January, even if they did finish the domestic season with three defeats in four games including the FA Cup final against Leicester City.
“We have arrived here. This is an incredible achievement and once you arrive you want to be on your best, but it’s City with Pep on the other side who are maybe at the moment the best in Europe, maybe in the world,” said Tuchel, who was given a boost as fitness concerns Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante returned to training. “It is on us again to close the gap for 90 minutes and the good thing is we did it. In football everything is possible and in a final everything is possible.”
Three - Tonight’s Chelsea v Man City clash is only the third UEFA Champions League final to be played between two EPL sides
Road to final
Man City: The Citizens kicked off their campaign in Group C alongside Marseille, FC Porto and Olympiacos. They topped the group stage with 16 points from five wins and a draw. Pep Guardiola’s team scored 13 goals and conceded only one. In the Last 16, they beat Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 on aggregate and then overcame FC Porto in the quarters, 4-2, over two legs. City were handed a tough draw in the semi-finals, paired with last year’s runner-up PSG. But they dispatched the Parisian side comfortably with a 4-1 aggregate to storm into the final.
Chelsea: The Blues began their Champions League journey under Frank Lampard and were placed in Group E alongside Sevilla, Krasnodar and Rennes. The London-based club opened with a goalless draw against Sevilla, but went on to score 14 goals in their next five games and topped the group with 14 points. In the Last 16, Thomas Tuchel’s side beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 on aggregate. In the quarter-finals, they overcame FC Porto 2-1 over two legs. They faced their biggest challenge in the Last 4 against Real Madrid but managed to tame the Spanish giants 3-1 on aggregate to enter the final.
Watch out for these Key battles in tonight’s Champions League final
Kevin De Bruyne vs N’Golo Kante
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante are arguably the world’s best in their respective central midfield positions. The natural ability of De Bruyne against the work rate of Kante could decide which team emerges victorious. De Bruyne’s creativity has been the hallmark of City’s attack. Chelsea will depend on Kante to stifle De Bruyne. If he can do it, he may win the game for Chelsea.
Riyad Mahrez vs Antonio Rudiger
Winger Riyad Mahrez was excellent against PSG, scoring thrice across two-legged semi-final. The way he likes to cut in from the wings, he is bound to come up against Chelsea’s formidable defender, Antonio Rudiger. Mahrez has a brilliant left foot and that helps him deliver precise crosses into the box. Rudiger, with his physical prowess and intelligent positional play, will have to be at his best to stop this high flying Algerian.
Fernandinho vs Mason Mount
Attacking midfielder Mason Mount has been Chelsea’s best player this season and bagged a crucial goal in the semi-final against Real Madrid. Fernandinho, on the other hand, has had to fight for his place in the side, but Pep Guardiola has favoured his experience in the bigger games. Mount will be crucial at initiating Chelsea’s attacks, so the way Fernandinho handles him, could determine how effective the Blues will be in midfield.
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