Champions League final Chelsea vs Manchester City – Can Blues stop Citizens!

2020-21 UEFA Champions' League final preview: Chelsea vs Manchester City – Estadio do Dragao, Porto – Saturday, 29 May 2021 – 20:00 BST

The stage is set for an All-English final as Chelsea and Manchester City travel to Portugal to lock horns in the final of the Champions League on May 29th night, Saturday.

This season's Premier League champions, Man City come into the game on the back of an emphatic 5-0 win over Everton on the final day of the Premier League season and have notched 7 victories from their last 10 games across all competitions.

Their passage to the Champions League finals was a very impressive 4-1 aggregate win over last year's runners-up Paris St Germain that involved a stunning fightback to win 2-1 in the first leg away in France and following it up with a clinical 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium in the return fixture.

Despite losing 2-1 to Aston Villa in their final fixture of the season, Chelsea managed to squeak into the Top Four of the Premier League that was helped to an extent by Leicester City's surprise loss to Tottenham at the King Power stadium at the same time.

Form Guide

Chelsea form guide: LWLLW

Manchester City form guide: WLWLW

Team News

Thomas Tuchel is hopeful that both goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and critical playmaker N'Golo Kante will be fit to start Saturday's final.

While Mendy will undergo a late fitness test to see if he can play in the final after sustaining an injury in the defeat to Aston Villa, Kante looks all set to return to training in time for the clash.

Defender Andreas Christensen will also return to the squad after missing previous matches owing to injury with Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic all pushing for starts alongside Mason Mount and Timo Werner in attack.

Cesar Azpilicueta will either play as a third centre-back or at right wing-back while the not-so-impressive Kepa Arrizabalaga will be the last-ditch option between the posts if Mendy were not to recover in time for the final clash.

Pep Guardiiola is relatively looking at a clean bill of health for the coming final with one of his key mid-field men and scorers, Ilkay Gundogan, fit to return.

Although Joao Cancelo has been a revelation for City this season, it's doubtful whether Guardiola will give him a start at Porto. Fernandinho could be a surprise starter after a string of impressive performances of late, but given City's midfield riches it remains to seen whether he will be handed a start.

Chelsea starting XI in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Mendy (goal);  Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; Reece James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Ziyech, Mount; Werner

Manchester City starting XI in a 4-3-3 formation: Ederson (goal); Zinchenko, Ruben Dias, Stones, Kyle Walker; Gundogan, Rodri, Bernardo Silva; Foden, Bruyne, Mahrez

Manchester City vs Chelsea – Last 5 encounters across competitions

1. 23rd November 2019- Man City 2-1 Chelsea
2. 25th June 2020- Chelsea 2-1 Man City
3. 3rd January 2021- Chelsea 1-3 Man City
4. 17th April 2021- Chelsea 1-0 Man City
5. 8th May 2021- Man City 1-2 Chelsea

It will be a fascinating battle between these two sides this weekend in which one can expect Chelsea to sit back and soak in City's ball-possession and look to counter-attack with the ferocity of Timo Werner & co have shown under Tuchel.

The Blues will get their chances, no doubt about that, but their wastefulness in front of goal could be their undoing with someone like Werner having lost count of the off-side goals he has scored.

Bookmaker Odds

Man City to lift the trophy: 4/11

Chelsea to lift the trophy: 15/8

Man City to win, both teams to score: 10/3

Correct Score odds

Man City 1-0: 5/1

Man City 2-0: 7/1

Man City 2-1: 8/1 (predicted scoreline)

Chelsea 1-0: 9/1

Chelsea 2-1: 14/1 (probable scoreline)

Man City 3-0: 14/1

Man City 3-1: 16/1

Chelsea 2-0: 20/1

Man City 3-2: 33/1

Man City 4-1: 40/1

Man City 4-0: 33/1

Chelsea 3-1: 40/1

Chelsea 3-2: 40/1

Chelsea 3-0: 50/1

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