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Preview: Looming over Liberdade Square, the giant European Cup replica that supporters of Chelsea and Manchester City crane their necks to photograph is a reminder of the prize being sought in Saturday’s Champions League final. And the footballing heritage their clubs tried to wreck only a month ago. The all-English final in Porto is a meeting of two of Europe’s richest teams at the end of a pandemic-compressed season that has stretched squads to the limit and benefited those with the deepest resources. It’s another reminder of the advantages held by the elite who seem forever to be seeking great wealth and power, undercutting any broadening of the profile of would-be finalists. But for all the rancor and recriminations in the fallout from the collapse of the Super League breakaway, the 66th final of UEFA’s elite competition does provide glimmers of optimism and hope in challenging times — both within the sport and beyond. Apart from one game at Stamford Bridge when 2,000 fans were allowed in December, most City or Chelsea fans have not been able to witness the journey to the final in the flesh in stadiums. They even missed the chance to protest in stadiums against the bid by their own clubs to launch the largely closed replacement for the Champions League that collapsed within 48 hours. Finally, in their 13th game of the competition, fans will be allowed into the Estádio do Dragão. The roar and energy of the crowd, so missing throughout the pandemic, will be back for the UEFA showpiece after last season’s final was played in an empty Lisbon stadium. The Champions League final returns to Portugal more out of necessity after Istanbul was abandoned due to Turkey’s rise in coronavirus infections. Hopes of an easier journey for the fans — playing the final on home soil at Wembley — were thwarted by coronavirus controls preventing unrestricted access for the UEFA delegations. That led to Portugal opening its borders to more than 10,000 visiting fans. It’s the type of mass movement of football supporters across Europe not seen in the Champions League since the start of the pandemic last March. There are often pitfalls to groups of English fans traveling. There was a brief flare-up of unrest on the streets of Porto on Thursday night as all restaurants and bars were closed by 10:30 p.m. due to the pandemic curfew. Getting to Portugal and into the stadium required multiple coronavirus tests, costing hundreds of dollars. But that’s been the least complicated aspect of Manchester City making it to the European Cup final for the first time in its 141-year history, thanks to the club being elevated to join Europe’s elite following its Abu Dhabi takeover 13 years ago. The influx of cash from Sheikh Mansour — a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family — delivered unprecedented success for a team that long lived in the shadow of three-time European champion Manchester United. But the lavish assembling of the team also attracted investigations for breaching Financial Fair Play rules and punishments for obstructing the investigators. Those FFP rules are being overhauled to allow the type of heavier spending on players impeded by the current regulations. A year ago Pep Guardiola’s side faced being excluded from the Champions League until the club’s squad of lawyers helped to secure a decisive victory to overturn the UEFA ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Guardiola is in his first Champions League final since winning for a second time as Barcelona coach in 2011, reaching this stage with City at his fifth attempt. It’s more familiar territory for Thomas Tuchel, a losing finalist last season when Paris Saint-Germain fell to Bayern Munich. The German will be leading out Chelsea in Porto only 123 days after being hired by Chelsea to save a season faltering under Frank Lampard. A top-four place in the Premier League was recovered to qualify for the Champions League without even having to win the final. It is reminiscent of 2012 when another midseason appointee — Roberto Di Matteo — took Chelsea to its first Champions League final and beat Bayern Munich on its own turf. It was no underdog success, instead the fulfilment of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s target after buying the club in 2003. Chelsea has beaten City twice in this season’s three encounters, including in the FA Cup semifinals but Tuchel’s side went on to lose to Leicester. City, though, already has two trophies after winning the League Cup for a fourth consecutive season and the Premier League for the fifth time in 10 seasons. “It’s always so, so tough to play against his teams," Tuchel said of Guardiola. “I watched his Barcelona team to learn from him and his team about football; how you can defend, how you can attack.” The admiration is mutual. “I learn a lot from Thomas,” Guardiola said. “I learned a lot watching his teams, with our conversations. It doesn’t matter if he has a lot of info about us or about me because, in the end, luckily for world football, he cannot play, I cannot play. So, in the end, the guys who are going to decide the final will be the players.” With inputs from the AP
Highlights, Man City vs Chelsea, UEFA Champions League Final: Blues become champions for second time
Catch the LIVE score and updates from the Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea
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That’s all from us. Hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the match. Chelsea fans will remember this day for a long time. Their team was the deserving winner of this final.
Hope you guys are keeping safe. We will see you soon. Thank you and have a good one!
CHAMPIONS!
Glorious indeed!
It’s all over!
Chelsea have done it! Kai Havertz first-half goal proves to be the difference. They have won the Champions League trophy for the second time in their history.
90’ MCI 0-1 CHE
The fourth official shows seven minutes of additional time. Seven minutes for Pep and his team to turn this around. Chelsea can’t afford to make a mistake now. They are so close to the glory.
Oops
87’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Kyle Walker with a lovely ball from the right. Foden and Aguero inside the box look for a connection but they can’t. Meanwhile, Tuchel wants more from the Chelsea fans. He wants them to raise the decibel levels. Chelsea are so close to the finish line.
82’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Free kick in a very promising position on the left for Chelsea. City clear away the danger.
80’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Change for Chelsea. Mason Mount off and Mateo Kovacic comes on. The City players are getting frustrated. Ten more minutes of normal time remaining.
And Aguero comes on for his final game for City. He replaces Sterling.
73’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Chelsea with a big, big chance and it’s gone. Pulisic gets the ball in the box and tries to chip it over the goalkeeper but it’s wide. They should’ve gone 2-0 up.
70’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Mahrez looks for Gundogan in the centre of the box but Azpilicueta slides back and clears away the ball. What an effort from Chelsea captain.
70’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Mahrez looks for Gundogan in the centre of the box but Azpilicueta slides back and clears away the ball. What an effort from Chelsea captain.
64’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Another change for City. Fernandinho replaces Bernardo Silva in the midfield. The game has slowed down a bit, which Chelsea won’t mind at all.
For Chelsea, Pulisic comes in for Werner.
61’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Sterling with a powerful shot from just outside the box. Reece James with the block but City players appeal for a handball. The referee says no. VAR also takes a look and it’s not a handball from James.
59’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Oh De Bruyne is in tears. The bruise is visible near his left eye and he walks away. Gabriel Jesus replaces him.
58’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Kevin De Bruyne takes a knock on his head and it looks serious. The physios are taking a look at him. This could be game over for him.
55’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Free-kick to Chelsea. Ben Chillwell sends it into the box but City clear the danger away. Second before, City centre-back Dias’s comes up with a perfectly-timed slide to send the ball away from Werner, who was threatening to break free down the right.
53’ MCI 0-1 CHE
As expected, City keeping the ball but Chelsea are not losing their shape and they are doing enough to break City’s attacks. Two good tackles from Kante so far. Pep and De Bruyne looking frustrated but plenty of time left in this match.
48’ MCI 0-1 CHE
City’s free-kick on the left. De Bruyne to take. No wait, this is taken by Foden but it’s a poor one. Easily cleared away by Chelsea.
46’ MCI 0-1 CHE
The second-half begins!
No changes for both the teams.
It’s half-time!
Chelsea go into the break with a one-goal lead and they deserved it. Kai Havertz, unlike Timo Werner, didn’t miss the chance when he found one. City’s defence was exposed and Chelsea made it count. Manchester City have been decent going forward but the defence has been shambles. Guardiola put out a very attacking line-up but now he needs to make a few changes. Maybe bring in Fernandinho to bolster the defence.
45’ MCI 0-1 CHE
Mount passes it down the left channel to Havertz who finds a lot of space between City’s defenders. Ederson comes ahead and gets his body to stop the ball it is not enough. The ball falls to Havertz who rolls into an empty net. Nicely done!
GOAAAAL!
Chelsea with the first goal of the match and it’s that man Kai Havertz!
39’ MCI 0-0 CHE
Chelsea break with Kante darting forward. He passes to Havertz on the right who look to finish after a cut back but fails.
Meanwhile, looks like Thiago Silva’s time in the middle has come to an end because of an injury. He’s very disappointed to go out. Andreas Christensen replaces him at the back.
35’ MCI 0-0 CHE
Yellow card for Gundogan for a bad challenge on Mason Mount’s knee. VAR has a look but no change in the colour of the card.
32’ MCI 0-0 CHE
Another chance for City. Kyle Walker with the pass from right inside the box to Mahrez who tries to make first-time contact with the his leg but he’s late.
28’ MCI 0-0 CHE
Top challenge from Rudiger to deny Foden from close range. De Bruyne finds Foden with ample space in the box. The City forward looks certain to break the deadlock only for Rudiger to spoil City’s opportunity.
26’ MCI 0-0 CHE
Free-kick to Chelsea on the right. Could be dangerous. Reece James sends it in but City defenders clear the ball away.
22’ MCI 0-0 CHE
Werner loses the ball and Sterling picks it up and runs ahead. Passes it to De Bruyne on the right but he’s offside so free-kick to Chelsea.
20’ MCI 0-0 CHE
The game is open and both teams are going for the goals. Werner with the best of the chances and he should’ve score at least two by now. His pace is making him a big threat and so far City defenders are not doing enough to stop him.
**14’ MCI 0-0 CHE **
Two good chances for Timo Werner but again, the finishing is not there. Mount cuts back for Werner, who tries a first time shot into the bottom left but Ederson saves it.
11’ MCI 0-0 CHE
Chance for Werner from the centre of the box but it ends up in a miss kick. City with a quick break but Chelsea players do enough to break the attack.
9’ MCI 0-0 CHE
What a ball from Ederson. Straight to Raheem Sterling who does well to take it but can’t beat Reece James who kicks it away for a corner. Nothing comes out from the corner as it a foul from Man City.
5’ MCI 0-0 CHE
First threat from Chelsea. Werner finds space on the left side, runs towards the box and passes to Havertz but the finishing is not there. Easy take for goalkeeper Ederson.
1’ MCI 0-0 CHE
Right then, City start the proceedings in the first-half. Already the ball is in Chelsea box. Guardiola has put an attacking selection and they are attacking right from the kick off whistle.
It’s almost time
The opening cermany is done. The players are out and the Champions League anthem is blasting behind them.
Guardiola vs Tuchel
It’s a meeting of two of the sharpest minds in football, seven years after Guardiola and Tuchel were first properly acquainted — in a Munich restaurant where they talked tactics for hours using salt and pepper shakers as props and were so animated that waiters were too afraid to interrupt.
Guardiola is the “benchmark,” according to Tuchel, and is looking to win the 27th major trophy (excluding Spanish Super Cups and English Community Shields) of his 13-year coaching career. It’s his third Champions League final — a first in 10 years — and he won his first two at Barcelona.
Tuchel became the first coach to reach back-to-back finals with different clubs, having lost last year’s title match with Paris Saint-Germain.
The pair are so tactically astute that they are prone to overthinking in big matches. Indeed, whoever has more clarity in his thinking is likely to emerge victorious. – AP
Teams
So Pep Guardian has gone with Gundogan, KDB and Bernardo Silva in the midfield. There’s no (proper) holding midfielder with Fernandinho and Rodri on the bench. Gundogan had some fitness concerns yesterday but he’s now fit to make an impact.
No big surprise in Chelsea’s starting XI. As expected, both Kai Havertz and Timo Werner start up front.