Chelsea will participate in their third Champions League final in 15 years and the first since winning the competition in 2012. The Blues will face Premier League champions Manchester City, who will make their first appearance in the final of the UCL. Despite this, City are the favorites to lift the most prestigious club trophy in Europe.
Despite Chelsea’s recent victories, Manchester City are the favorites for this game with odds of around pairs. Since Chelsea are two for two against Manchester City with Tuchel, if you are a Chelsea fan, you might want to bet on your football team with odds of around 4/1.
Chelsea’s path to the final
The London club began this season’s Champions League journey with club legend Frank Lampard at the helm. The former England international did a good job navigating a potentially tough group with a 4-0 away win over then-Europa League champions Sevilla, the highlight of the group stage.
Having topped the pack, Chelsea were unlucky enough to draw arguably the second toughest team at Atlético de Madrid. At this stage, Lampard had been replaced by former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel, who oversaw a professional 3-0 aggregate victory. Atleti would win their national league ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Then Chelsea took on the outsiders, Porto, who had eliminated Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus. The Blues once again felt comfortable throughout the tie and advanced to the next round where they would face Real Madrid. The Whites put up a fight, but Chelsea were once again the best team in two games and deservedly progressed after a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Manchester City’s path to the final
Pep Guardiola’s team did light work from a rather weak group. Man City won five of six games and conceded just one goal as they advanced to the knockout stages ahead of Porto. Borussia Mönchengladbach were no match for City in the round of 16. Goals from Silva, Jesús, De Bruyne and Gundogan gave City a 4-0 aggregate victory over the German side.
Another German club followed in the quarter-finals, this time Borussia Dortmund, much more stubborn. Heading into the second half of the return leg, Dortmund took the lead on away goals, but goals from Mahrez and Foden ended their hopes of defeat.
Manchester City faced one of the favorites before the tournament, PSG, in the semi-finals. The Parisians went ahead through Marquinhos, but their tie was quickly undone in the second half when they conceded two goals and received a red card in a disastrous 15-minute span. Another red card followed in the second leg as City turned the screw for a 4-1 aggregate victory.
How do these sides combine?
Chelsea and Manchester City have met three times this season. The first meeting was a comfortable victory for City at Stamford Bridge with late consolation from Hudson-Odoi in a 3-1 loss to the Blues. In their second encounter, Chelsea won 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-final with Tuchel now in charge. Lastly, a late winner from Alonso gave Chelsea a crucial league victory with the game-ending 2-1.
Team news and lineups
Mendy and Kanté have doubts heading into this game for Chelsea, but both are expected to be available. That’s certainly great news given Mendy’s stellar debut season in goal and Kanté’s transformative impact on midfield during the semi-final.
The Blues are expected to start with three behind, as has become customary with Tuchel. Veteran Thiago Silva will look forward to finally getting his hands on the elusive Champions League trophy as he lines up alongside Rudiger and possibly James. Azpilicueta can continue in his most advanced winger role with Chilwell on the opposite flank and a midfield duo of Jorginho and Kanté. The top three are likely to feature Mount, Werner, and one from Pulisic, Ziyech, or Havertz.
Manchester City reach the final with a full complement at their disposal. Ederson will naturally start in goal with a central defense partnership of Dias and Stones most likely. Two from Walker, Cancelo and Zinchenko will fill the winger spots in the bottom four. Midfield will likely feature Rodri in a supporting role with Bernardo Silva and Gundogan on both sides. A fluid front of three from Foden, De Bruyne and Mahrez is expected, although Sterling, Jesus and Agüero are notable bench options.
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