UEFA Champions League Final 2021 Live: It is the second all-English final in three years. (File)UEFA Champions League Final 2021, Manchester City vs Chelsea Live Score Streaming Updates: Manchester City will take on Chelsea in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League final at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto on Saturday.
Neither club can boast a rich pedigree at this level — City is making their debut on this stage while Chelsea will be featuring in their third UEFA Champions League final, having won the competition in 2012. City is coached by Pep Guardiola, who won the competition twice when guiding Barcelona, while Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel led Paris Saint-Germain to the final last season.
City have an abundance of attacking options, so much so that Guardiola often sets his team without either of his strikers — Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus. Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, and even Ilkay Gundogan have had impressive seasons in terms of attacking contributions. Still, Chelsea have shown that they can get the better of Guardiola’s side — the Londoners have won the last two encounters, at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final and at the Etihad in the Premier League earlier this month.
Manchester City:
Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden
Chelsea:
Mendy, James, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell, Mount, Havertz, Werner
Chelsea lead Manchester City 1-0 at half-time. Kai Havertz is the first player to score his first UEFA Champions League goal in a final since İlkay Gündoğan in 2013. Meanwhile, Mason Mount is the first English player to provide an assist in a UCL final since Wes Brown in 2008.
GOAL! Kai Havertz scores in the empty net to give Chelsea 1-0 lead in the first half. City defenders are all over the place and Chelsea make the most of it. Havertz manages to get between them to reach Mount’s thoroughball. Havertz knocks it past Ederson who rushed out, giving him the chance to slide the ball into the empty net.
Thiago Silva limps off with a groin injury. That’s a big blow for Chelsea. Andreass Christensen replaces Silva.
Pace of the final picks up. First, Kante intercepts the pass into De Bruyne and he turns to set off the counter. Zinchenko steps in to nick it and there we see a counter attack. Some wonderful football here.
Thiago Silva has gone down and it looks like he’s got groin injury. He is received treatment on it as Zouma warmed up on the sidelines. Looks like he is going to continue playing for now.
Gundogan catches Thiago Silva with a late challenge and he’s shown the first yellow card of the game.
Walker drives it in from the byline but Mahrez can’t reach it on the stretch and the danger is cleared. Chelsea are struggling to keep hold of the ball at the moment and City is starting to close in on them.
Gundogan touches it into Sterling and his touch gets De Bruyne in behind. He plays it into Foden early who is through on goal but Rudiger recovers well to slide in and block the shot in front of Mendy.
Werner gets another chance. He cuts inside before trying to catch Ederson out at his near post, but a deflection takes it into the side netting.
Chelsea nick it back in midfield and Chilwell’s cross is blocked, but Havertz still manages to pick it up. He lays it off to Werner, who gets it stuck under his feet but he still manages to dig out a shot that is straight at Ederson.
It’s a wonderful ball over the top from Ederson to pick out Sterling,who pulled off the back of James. The right back manages to get a foot to it but can only force Sterling wide and Mendy has to push his shot away from the near post.
Chelsea under pressure from the beginning, a nervy start from the Blues. Rudiger has Foden tight to him and manages to get it out to Chilwell but De Bruyne closes him down.
And we’re off. The UEFA Champions League 2021 final kicks off between the two English sides Manchester City and Chelsea. Gundogan gets the final underway.
The opening ceremony is taking place in the stadium now. Marshmellow is in the house.
The two sets of players are on the pitch and into their warm-up drills. Half an hour to kick-off.
Manchester City
Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden.
Subs: Steffen, Carson, Ake, Jesus, Aguero, Laporte, Rodrigo, Torres, Mendy, Fernandinho, Cancelo, Garcia.
Chelsea
Mendy, James, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell, Mount, Havertz, Werner.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Alonso, Christensen, Pulisic, Caballero, Zouma, Kovacic, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech, Gilmour, Emerson Palmieri.
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The team news is just in! Here is how Chelsea line up.
Hello and welcome to our coverage of the Champions League final, an all-English final between Premier League champions Manchester City and Chelsea, who finished in 4th place, having waited till the last matchday to ensure their qualification to next year’s UCL. Some reputations could be built and tarnished tonight.
Kick-off at 12:30 am IST.
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden.
Subs: Steffen, Carson, Ake, Jesus, Aguero, Laporte, Rodrigo, Torres, Mendy, Fernandinho, Cancelo, Garcia.
Chelsea: Mendy, James, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell, Mount, Havertz, Werner.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Alonso, Christensen, Pulisic, Caballero, Zouma, Kovacic, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech, Gilmour, Emerson Palmieri.
UEFA Champions League Final 2021 Live: It is the second all-English final in three years. (File)