Blue will be the theme of this year’s Champions League final, with Man City to take on fellow Premiership side Chelsea for the biggest prize in European club football.
Photo via Reuters
It will be the second all-English final in three years, after Liverpool faced Tottenham in the 2019 title-decider.
City are eyeing their first-ever Champions League crown (this is also their first final), while Chelsea will be looking to add a second title to the one they won in 2012.
Head-to-head record
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This will be only the second meeting between City and Chelsea in European competition, after the 1970/71 Cup Winner’s Cup.
Overall, however, these two sides have met on 168 previous occasions in all competitions…with Chelsea winning 70 times compared to City’s 59.
Form
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The Citizens come into the final boasting an unbeaten record. The won their group, and defeated Borussia Monchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and PSG in the knockout rounds.
Chelsea on the other hand, suffered just one defeat in the campaign, losing the first leg of their quarterfinal against Porto before bouncing back to win the return leg.
They too, won their group, and beat Atletico, Porto and the mighty Real Madrid en-route to the final.
Managers
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City’s Pep Guardiola is a double Champions League winner, having won it on two previous occasions during his spell in charge of Barcelona.
However, his last winner’s medal came in 2011…so one can be forgiven for questioning if the Spaniard is losing his touch in Europe.
Photo via Eurosport
As for Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel, this will be his second successive appearance in the final, having guided PSG to the runners-up spot last season.
In fact, Tuchel is the first manager to lead two different clubs to successive Champions League finals.
Team news
Guardiola has the luxury of picking his starting eleven from a fully-fit squad. Ilkay Gundogan was an initial concern but has now declared himself fit.
The only question is whether Pep will start with Sergio Aguero in the first team or on the bench, in what will be the Argentine striker’s final game for City.
Possible lineup: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Rúben Dias, Zinchenko; Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, Gündoğan; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Foden
Chelsea have only two injury concerns in the form of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and midfield talisman Ngolo Kante.
Both have been included in the squad, though… and appear to have shaken off their respective problems.
Probable lineup: Mendy; Christensen, Thiago Silva, Rüdiger; Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kanté, Chilwell; Pulišić, Werner, Mount
The Champions League final will be shown LIVE on Astro channel 819 from 2.55am Sunday morning, Malaysian time.
By: Nicholas Darren John
