The big prize is on the line come Saturday night at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto with Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea locking horns with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Both teams have endured contrasting spell of form in recent times when compared to their usual best on the pitch and hopes for a turnaround in what is the final outing for the 2020-21 season is sure to fetch the Champions League trophy for the victors.
Tuchel will be keen on clinching silverware with his new colours and forget the disappointment of the FA Cup defeat to Leicester City earlier this month with the Blues not being in the most upbeat of form when drawing the curtains on their top-flight campaign.
Chelsea were handed a 2-1 defeat on the final day of play in the Premier League when going up against an in-form Aston Villa side but the west Londoners were still able to assure themselves of a Champions League berth with Leicester being defeated by Spurs elsewhere in action.
Against Manchester City who are now the champions of England, it is bound to a stern test for the Blues who have enjoyed an incredible journey into the final fixture of world football’s most elite club competition,
A semi-final win over La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid was much memorable for Tuchel and Chelsea who were pitted against the record holders of the tournament and heavy favourites to make it a 14th time holding the prestigious trophy.
Manchester City brought an end to their title-winning season over the last weekend with a thumping 5-0 win over Everton in a game where the Manchester Blues thoroughly outclassed the Merseyside Blues on all fronts.
With the long-serving Sergio Aguero bringing the curtains down on his incredible 10-year-long stint in the Chelsea shirt on Saturday, Guardiola will be eager for his players to turn up at their best and give a fantastic farewell to the Argentine forward who was himself twice on the scoresheet in the win over the Toffees after coming off the bench in the second half.
WHEN & WHERE?
Two days to go! ⏱#UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/kuEcueRjvl
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 27, 2021
Date: Saturday 29 May
Time: 9 PM GMT
Venue: Estádio do Dragão
TEAM NEWS
N’Golo Kante was the major injury concern for Chelsea but Thomas Tuchel eased fears amongst the club’s fanbase by claiming that the Frenchman will be deemed fit for Saturday’s showdown in Porto after staging a return to team training.
Edouard Mendy was another player who was earlier considered doubtful for the Champions League final following his withdrawal at Villa Park but the Chelsea No.1 is tipped to man the sticks for Thomas Tuchel’s side come Saturday.
The likes of Mateo Kovacic and Andres Christensen are available at Tuchel’s disposal after being sidelined for a number of weeks in the backend of the 2020-21 league campaign with injuries.
KEY BATTLE
Kevin De Bruyne v N’Golo Kante
Kevin De Bruyne remains the most influential cog in the Manchester City lineup and the former Chelsea man will hope for his old club to be at his mercy in the final of the Champions League.
The Belgian playmaker will be key to City’s performance in the final third of the pitch and it will be Chelsea’s ever-reliant man in the centre of the park. N’Golo Kante, who will have to shoulder the responsibility of keeping De Bruyne in check.
MATCH PREDICTION
We're ready! 👌#UCLFinal
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 27, 2021
Chelsea are bound to give their all on the pitch in Porto but are still expected to fall short of Manchester City’s sheer brilliance that has allowed them to be crowned the Premier League champions this season.
We expect Manchester City to claim the European crown with a 2-1 win on Saturday over the Blues.
