Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea: Champions League final - result, summary and goals
Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea: Champions League final as it happened
Adiós!
Right, we’re going to close out this live feed. Congratulations to Chelsea, who were fantastic in attack in the first half, before holding out in the second with a strong defensive display. They’ve now won four major European trophies - two Champions Leagues and two Europa Leagues - in the past nine years. Not bad at all.
Bitter disappointment for Manchester City, who join crosstown rivals United in losing a European final despite being firm pre-match favourites. The stat that best sums up their night is that, for all their territorial domination after the break, they managed just one shot on target all game.
Thanks for reading!
Chelsea's N'Golo Kanté (centre) celebrates with team-mates Mateo Kovacic (left), Billy Gilmour (second left) and Tammy Abraham (right).
(Photo: EFE/EPA/David Ramos / POOL)
Tuchel praises Chelsea's fighting spirit
“They [the players] were determined to win this," Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has told BT Sport. "We wanted to be a stone in their shoe, a stone in the clockwork of Manchester City, and we encouraged everybody to step up and step out [...].
"We would have wanted to be a bit more brave with the ball to have a bit more ball possession, but we created some dangerous counter attacks, some opportunities, and the second half was pure fight.”
Pep Guardiola speaks to BT Sport:
"Exceptional season"
"It was an exceptional season for us. It was an honour to be here. We are sad but it was a tight game. In the second half we were brilliant and brave but could not convert our goals because they are so fast and strong. Our players were exceptional, and maybe we will come back again one day."
"Hopefully we will learn for the future"
"Kevin de Bruyne was injured but it happens. The ambition now is rest, but we will prepare for next season. It is the first time we were in this stage. It’s an honour to be here, and hopefully we will learn for the future."
Chelsea to take on Villarreal in Super Cup
Chelsea's victory tonight means they now have a date with Europe Leagua winners Villarreal in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup. The Blues will take on Unai Emery's side at Windsor Park, Belfast, on 11 August.
It'll be their fifth Super Cup - having one just win of their previous four appearances in the fixture - while Villarreal will be making their debut.
Haaland finishes season as Champions League top scorer
Borussia Dortmund's Erling Braut Haaland has been confirmed as the top scorer in the 2020/21 Champions League, with 10 goals.
Christian Pulisic becomes first US player to win Champions League
Chelsea's Christian Pulisic has become the first ever American to pick up a Champions League winners' medal.
Guardiola's first major final loss in a decade
Manchester City's Champions League defeat to Chelsea is the first time Pep Guardiola has lost a major cup final since his Barcelona side went down to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final in 2011, Opta note.
Chelsea skipper Azpilicueta talks to Movistar+:
Reaction to winning the Champions League:
Hard to explain, ending the season like this with Chelsea. I’ve been at this club for nine years now and it’s a very special night.
Feelings when he lifted the trophy:
It’s very emotional. It’s the biggest prize there is at club level, and I feel very proud to be Chelsea captain.
“Great job”
“It’s been a real team effort. We did a great job. We really dug in.”
First-time finalists fall short yet again
Since Borussia Dortmund beat Juventus in Munich in 1997, it's now eight clubs in a row who have been beaten in their maiden appearance in a Champions League final.
Manchester City join Valencia (2000), Monaco (2004), Bayer Leverkusen (2002), Arsenal (2006), Chelsea (2012) Tottenham (2019) and Paris Saint-Germain (2020) in failing to win the showpiece fixture at the first attempt.
Champions League redemption for Tuchel and Thiago Silva
Thomas Tuchel and Thiago Silva savour Champions League glory having both been on the losing side for PSG a year ago.
Azpilicueta lifts the Champions League trophy!
Azpi the first Spanish skipper to collect trophy for non-Spanish club
The presentation ceremony is underway, with the match officials the first to go up for their memento of the final. There can be few complaints about Mateu Lahoz's performance.
The City players then trudge up to get their medals. As usual, everyone takes it right off after having it hung around their neck by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Chelsea captain César Azpilicueta, who spoke to AS in the build-up to the final, will become the first Spaniard to pick up the Champions League trophy for a non-LaLiga club.
Peeep peeep peeep! Tuchel's Chelsea have beaten Manchester City again, and they are champions of Europe for the second time!
It was pretty backs to the wall for the West Londoners after the break, but Kai Havertz's first-half goal is enough for Chelsea to see off Manchester City, whose wait for a first Champions League title goes on.
Having said that it was backs to the wall for Chelsea in the second 45, it should also be noted that they created by far the best chance of the half, when Havertz played Christian Pulisic in on Ederson.
The Blues join Juventus, Benfica, Nottingham Forest and Porto as two-time winners of the European Cup.
That was a very enjoyable final, made all the better by the presence of fans in the stands.
So close from Mahrez! Walker takes another long throw-in, which is cleared only as far as the Algerian on the edge of the box. He connects with a right-footed volley that Mendy can only stand and watch - but it flashes just, just off target!
Walker sends a long throw-in into the box, but Chilwell boots clear. Back it comes to Walker, who curls into the Chelsea area - and again it's cleared.
The Blues bring it away and into the City half, before earning a free-kick around the halfway line. They once more take as long as is humanly possible to take it.
Chance for Foden... but Christensen blocks! City work it left to Zinchenko, who crosses low across the face of goal. Chilwell looks like he's going to sweep it clear, but he fails to connect with the ball, and it runs through to Jesus, who taps it back to Foden - but Chelsea scramble it away!
Seven minutes of time added on.
Jesus is booked for a foul on Havertz on the City left. Chelsea will take as much time as they possibly can about this free-kick.
Tuchel is back at it with the Cholo-like crowd conducting. The Chelsea fans respond.
Walker drifts a high ball towards Agüero at the back of the box, and when James misjudges his jump, the Argentine has a chance to control and play it across goal, with Foden waiting. He looks to clip it onto the Englishman's head, but Mendy is quickly off his line to grab hold. A let-off for James and Chelsea.
Chilwell buys a clever free-kick off Walker on the right wing, giving Chelsea a chance to swing it into the box. Chilwell it is who delivers, and when the ball is half-cleared to the edge of the box, Jorginho fires well wide.
Kovacic replaces Mount, who gets a deserved ovation.
Twice Mahrez delivers - first from a corner, then when the ball is recycled back out to him on the right wing - but twice Chelsea deal with it.
Looks like Mateo Kovacic is preparing to come on for Chelsea.
Agüero is on. Sterling makes way for the striker.
Sterling gets to the left-hand byline and cuts the ball back towards Jesus, but Chilwell is there to boot it clear.
Sergio Agüero is about to come on for City.
What a chance for Pulisic! Chelsea haven't been out of their half all that much since the break, but they are so close to doubling their lead.
It's brilliant play from Havertz, who leads a quick counter, running at Stones and Dias before slipping Pulisic into the box with a perfectly-timed ball. However, the American drags his finish across goal and wide!
Azpilicueta is down and in some pain after a clash of knees with Gabriel Jesus. It initially looks very worrying for the Spaniard, but he's up and back into the action after a couple of minutes. Looks like he hasn't done himself serious damage, thankfully.
That's a crucial interception from Azpilicueta! Foden advances towards the box, before feeding the ball right to Mahrez. He plays it first-time across goal towards Gündogan, who's waiting to gobble it up at the back post - but Azpilicueta gets there just in time to clear!
James is penalised for a foul on the right, giving City the opportunity to send another dead-ball delivery into the box. Zinchenko takes, getting plenty of power and whip on his ball, but it's headed clear.
On comes Pulisic, Werner making way for the American.
City make a second change. Fernandinho is on for Bernardo Silva.
Christian Pulisic is also about to come on for Chelsea.
The City free-kick that stems from that De Bruyne-Rüdiger collision is delivered into the box, where Dias nods it down to Sterling. He hits it towards goal, but has his shot blocked by James - and there are energetic appeals for a handball by the Chelsea defender. Mateu Lahoz says no, as does a VAR check.
Moments later, Foden strides into shooting space on the edge of the box, but fires over.
De Bruyne is still getting treatment and is going to have to come off. He's in tears.
Gabriel Jesus comes on for City.
De Bruyne lays it off to Mahrez before colliding with Rüdiger. It's a nasty clash of heads that leaves both players down in a heap - and the German is already having to play with a face mask.
They both need a good couple of minutes of attention. Rüdiger is up first, and is booked for his role in the collision. De Bruyne appears to have come off quite a bit worse.
James nearly gets Werner in behind Dias with a long, low ball down the right wing, but the City defender is in position to hold off the German and snuff out the danger. Chelsea look so dangerous when they launch these quick attacks, though.
De Bruyne puts his head down and drives towards the Chelsea box, but Kanté is quickly in to tackle the Belgian - cleanly. He brings the ball away to rapturous applause from the Chelsea fans.
Walker curls a cross high into the Chelsea box, but it's nowhere near De Bruyne - and it's not as if heading is really his thing anyway. Easy take for Mendy.
Sterling is fouled on the left wing, and one of De Bruyne and Foden will swing it into the box. Foden it is, but his delivery is underhit and Kanté steps across to control and clear.
"Foden usually strikes the ball so well - but he certainly didn't there," says former Real Madrid player and coach Jorge Valdano on Movistar+.
Peeep! We're back up and running at the Estádio do Dragão.
No half-time changes for either side.
Peeep peeep peeeeep! Half time in Porto, where Chelsea lead!
Chelsea already have two wins over City since Tuchel took over and they're now halfway to claiming a third - and, with it, their second European title. Guardiola was quickly down the tunnel when the whistle blew.
Kanté clips a ball into Werner at the near post. He chests it down and shoots on the turn, but slices into the side-netting.
Over on the Chelsea bench, Thiago Silva is looking a little happier now.
Three minutes of time added on in Portugal.
Chelsea lead! Havertz rounds Ederson and slots home! There has been far too much good attacking play for this first half to end goalless, and it's the Blues who ensure it doesn't.
Chilwell touches it inside to Mount, who turns on the halfway line, gets his head up and feeds an inch-perfect through ball into Havertz's run in behind the City defence.
He gets there just before Ederson to knock it past the goalkeeper, and from there he has the simplest of tasks.
Great ball from Mount, albeit you could have driven a bus down the gap left between Stones and Dias.
Advantage Chelsea!
Both sides look so dangerous going forward. Chilwell looks up and lifts a glorious ball to Werner at the back of the City area, the German volleying it first-time back across for Havertz at the top of the box. Werner doesn't quite connect properly with it, though, and Dias is quickly in to clear.
Nope, Thiago Silva isn't right and he's going to have to come off. He looks suitably cheesed off as he makes his way from the field, to be replaced by Christensen.
Thiago Silva is back on.
Kanté wins the ball back off De Bruyne and, in the blink of an eye, is scampering forward towards the edge of the City box. He slips it right to Havertz, who tries to cut inside Zinchenko and Dias when he might have been better taking the shot on right away, and fails.
Gündogan gets the first yellow card of the match for a late challenge on Mount.
There's a concern for Chelsea, as Thiago Silva is down and appears to be holding his groin. Christensen is out to warm up.
City are stepping it up in attack now. First, Walker beats Chilwell, advances to the byline and cuts it back for Mahrez, who is inches away from connecting with the ball eight yards or so out.
Moments later, Sterling cuts in from the left and skips into shooting space just inside the Chelsea box, but Azpilicueta gets himself into position to block. There are timid appeals for handball, but they are optimistic, to say the least.
What a chance for Foden, and what a crucial block that is from Rüdiger! De Bruyne feeds the ball right to meet Foden's run into the box, and as he opens out his body to caress the ball into the far corner, it feels like there's only going to be one outcome to this.
However, Rüdiger throws himself in front of the City man to take the sting out of the shot, and allow Mendy to grab hold of the ball.
Sterling puts on the after-burners and tries to speed past James and into the box, but James is no slouch himself and chases his compatriot down, before winning a goal-kick off De Bruyne.
Kanté is fouled on the right wing, giving James an opportunity to clip it into the danger area once more. Clip it into the danger area he does, but again the ball is cleared just before it can reach Havertz.
Chilwell crosses low from the left, but Stones gets it clear. The Blues recycle it to James on the other flank, and he whips a lovely ball into the City box, which just for a moment looks like it's sailing right onto Havertz's head at the back post. Stones leaps just high enough to get a touch and divert it away from the German, though.
Sterling slips the ball left to De Bruyne, who has space to advance into the box and cut it back across goal. However, his pass is very well cut out by Azpilicueta... and the flag was up against the Belgian, anyway. Just offside when Sterling played it to him.
City keep the ball for a good little while. They don't really go anywhere, but nevertheless it's not a bad plan. Chelsea were building up a real head of steam.
Chilwell crosses from the left to the back post, where Kanté gets his head to it - but nods just off target! A flurry of chances for Chelsea.
A very good last few minutes Tuchel's men. City look a smidge rattled at the back.
Another great chance for Werner! He really isn't having the best of times in front of goal. Mount wins the ball back 25 yards out and is suddenly thundering into the City box. He could shoot himself, but lays it off to Werner, but his effort is weak! Straight at Ederson.
Werner then comes again at the City defence, knocking the ball past Stones and firing low - but finding the side-netting!
On the touchline, a clearly encouraged Tuchel looks to whip up the Chelsea fans with some Simeone-esque conducting.
This final is really coming to life; both sides carve each other open.
First, Havertz gets to the byline on the left and pulls it back for Werner, who's in acres of space to shoot at the near post. As has been the German's wont this season, he gets his strike all wrong, however. The ball hits his standing leg and bounces away.
At the other end, Sterling then scampers into crossing space on the left, rolling a low ball towards Mahrez at the far post. The Algerian looks all set to turn the ball home, but Rüdiger is there just in time to nick it off his toes.
Chance for Sterling! We've seen this one before from City. Ederson pings a 50-yard ball over the top of the Chelsea defence and right onto Sterling's boot.
If Sterling can control, he's probably in for 1-0, but his touch takes him ever so slightly wide. Mendy is quickly out to the forward, narrowing the gap and forcing him to try a backheel that is never going to work.
It's out for a corner, which comes to nought. Mateu Lahoz blows for a foul by a City player.
Walker wins the ball back of Thiago Silva on the right wing, but as he prepares to barrel into the Chelsea box, Mateu Lahoz blows up for a foul on the Brazilian. Walker clearly shoves him over.
A first incursion into the penalty area for Chelsea. Werner scuttles into the City box and to the byline, before cutting it back to Havertz. He struggles to get the ball out of his feet, before seeing his shot deflected safely into Ederson's hands by Dias.
Manchester City immediately win a throw-in in an advanced position on the right-wing, but Kevin de Bruyne is beaten to the delivery and Chelsea clear.
James is at right-back for Chelsea, with Azpilicueta the right-sided central defender. De Bruyne is at false nine for City, with Sterling and Mahrez either side of him up front. Foden and Bernardo Silva are alongside Gündogan in the City midfield.
Peeeeep! We're underway!
Out come the teams!
Manchester City and Chelsea are led out to the field by referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz. One final blast of the Champions League anthem, and it'll be pretty much time to get cracking. Quite looking forward to this.
Champions League final opening ceremony underway
We're into the Champions League final opening ceremony. First we have a fireworks show inside the Estádio do Dragao, before some sort of pre-recorded virtual reality thing involving Selena Gomez and others. Sorry, I'm not the man to describe this kind of thing to you. I'll do much better with the football, I promise
Who is Antonio Mateu Lahoz, the 2021 Champions League final referee?
Tonight's referee is Antonio Mateu Lahoz, who becomes the fourth Spaniard to take charge of a European Cup/Champions League final. The last time a Spanish referee oversaw the fixture, in 2005, it turned out to be a decent game, didn't it? More of that please!
Take a look at our profile of Champions League final referee Mateu Lahoz
Who are the Champions League 2021 top scorers?
Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland leads the 2020/21 Champions League scoring charts with 10. Of the players involved for Manchester City and Chelsea, the closest to the Norwegian is Chelsea's Olivier Giroud, who has six and is on the bench.
If he summons the spirit of Solskjaer vs Forest in ’99, he’ll draw level with Haaland… but that seems rather unlikely, now doesn’t it. The closest City players to Haaland are Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres, both well back on four.
Manchester City vs Chelsea: times, TV & how to watch online
A reminder that if you're unsure how you can tune into tonight's Champions League final, you'll find the lowdown in our guide on how and where to watch.
Champions League finalists: stats compared
Courtesy of our friends at SofaScore, here is an at-a-glance comparison of Manchester City and Chelsea's Champions League stats so far in the 2020/21 campaign.
What the coaches said: Thomas Tuchel, Borussia Dortmund
Guardiola vs Tuchel?
“It’s much more than that. I would never suggest that it’s me against him because we don’t have a match of tennis tomorrow. We arrive with our teams and Pep will prepare his team and I will prepare my team in the best way possible. We have two experiences now against them in different competitions, two different matches, two different line-ups. Tomorrow will be a very different line-up I think from Man City, but nevertheless we have the experience of how much we had to suffer, we have experience of how brave and courageous we need to play in certain moments of the game. For me it’s about this tomorrow.”
City challenge:
“It’s always tough to play against City, Bayern or Barcelona when Pep is at the sideline. He creates this team with huge belief and this huge success and continuous winning mentality, so they are in the moment the strongest team in Europe and maybe in the world, and they have built a huge gap between them and us in the league but we closed the gap for 90 minutes at Wembley. We closed the gap for 90 minutes at City and this is what we want to do tomorrow.”
Can you learn from 2020 final defeat with PSG?
“It’s a different team and it’s a very different situation […]. Experience is a crucial thing in coaching and after every match I’m a bit smarter coach and a more experienced coach and this is the demand that I have on myself, so of course we learn our lessons from defeats but it was a three-match tournament, it was a knockout tournament, it was Bayern Munich in the final, Paris was our team, so there is not so much where you can draw a line and say this is the key point that we did wrong or that we have to learn from and step up from that to make it happen.”
(Photo: Handout / UEFA / AFP)
What the coaches said: Pep Guardiola, Manchester City
"Incredible privilege to be here"
“I know exactly the way we want to play, with who we’re going to play […]. It’s an incredible privilege to be here. Talking personally, I never expected when I started my career to play even one final of the Champions League, and now it’s another one. We are here, we are more than grateful and we’re lucky, all of us.”
Pep talk:
“I know exactly what I’m going to tell them: to enjoy the match and express ourselves as much as possible. And the guys who are anxious and nervous, I want to tell them it’s normal - we have to deal with that. It’s not bad, it happens. And the guys who are more relaxed, that’s good as well. So everyone is going to handle it in the best way and try to go out there and try to play their game.”
Penalties:
“We can train for penalties, but you cannot supply the momentum, you cannot supply the tension of when it happens in the real moment. If there is a penalty shoot-out I will talk to the players, I will know exactly what I’m going to tell them, to be sure that they’re going to take a good penalty and try to do it, but I have many things to think about about the game, more than a penalty shoot-out."
(Photo: Handout / UEFA / AFP)
Thiago Silva joins select Champions League final club
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva becomes the fifth player to appear in consecutive Champions League finals for different clubs, having been a part of the Paris Saint-Germain side that lost to Bayern Munich in 2020.
Silva follows in the footsteps of Marcel Desailly (who played in the final with Marseille and AC Milan in 1993 and 1994, respectively); Paulo Sousa (Juventus and Borussia Dortmund in 1996 and 1997); Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona and Inter Milan in 2009 and 2010); and Álvaro Morata (Real Madrid and Juventus in 2014 and 2015).
(Photo: REUTERS/Carl Recine)
Manchester City team news: Gündogan fit to play, Sterling starts
Ilkay Gündogan is fit to start for Manchester City despite being unable to complete training yesterday, and returns to the midfield after missing the weekend win over Everton.
Bernardo Silva also comes in for City in what is a pretty attack-minded midfield, boss Pep Guardiola opting against starting either of the more steady-Eddie duo of Fernandinho or Rodri.
Also slightly surprisingly, Raheem Sterling gets the nod up top having hardly been a regular starter of late.
Chelsea team news: Havertz in for Pulisic
Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel makes one change to the team that lost to Aston Villa, Kai Havertz coming into the attack for Christian Pulisic.
The only doubt for me (Clive) is whether it’s Reece James at right wing-back and César Azpilicueta as the right-sided centre-back, or vice versa.
Chelsea team news
Starting line-up: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Silva, Rüdiger, James, Jorginho, Kanté, Chilwell, Mount, Werner, Havertz
Manchester City team news
Starting line-up: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko, Gündogan, De Bruyne, Silva, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden
Adiós to City legend Agüero
Sergio Agüero isn’t expected to start for Manchester City tonight, but the striker could get a final appearance for the club off the bench, before what looks like being a summer move to Barcelona.
Since joining in 2011, Agüero has scored 260 goals in all competitions for City to become the club’s all-time leading marksman. Most memorably, the Argentine’s dramatic, last-gasp winner against QPR handed the Citizens the 2011/12 Premier League title - their first English championship since 1967/68.
He signed off from Premier League duty with a double in City’s 5-0 win over Everton at the weekend - and how much more fitting it was that his goalscoring exploits, rather than his muffed Panenka against Chelsea earlier this month, should be his final contribution of signficance on the domestic scene.
Take a look back at Agüero’s time at Manchester City
(Photo: Peter Powell/AFP)
Manchester City vs Chelsea: UCL final injuries and suspensions
Late doubts surrounding Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundögan's fitness appear to be the only selection concerns affecting either side ahead of tonight's Champions League final.
Gündogan, who is the team's top scorer this season with 17 goals in all competitions, withdrew from Friday’s final training session in Porto after a collision with Fernandinho.
No City or Chelsea players are suspended, meanwhile.
With just over 90 minutes to go until kick-off at the Estádio do Dragão, a decent number of fans have already started to take their seats inside the stadium.
“Believe! It’s in your DNA”
Didier Drogba, the penalty shoot-out hero in Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich, has recorded a video message for his former team ahead of tonight’s clash against Manchester City.
“Play as if this is your last chance to play a Champions League game,” Droga says. “Rise to the occasion. Believe. Believe! It’s in your DNA. This is our legacy to you. Come on you Blues! Come on Chelsea!”
How many times have teams from the same country played a Champions League final?
Man City and Chelsea’s second European meeting is the third time two English clubs have faced off in the Champions League final, following on from Liverpool’s win over Tottenham in 2019 and the Blues’ penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester United in 2008.
In all, seven Champions League finals have been contested by clubs from the same country.
Man City and Chelsea last met in Europe in 1970/71
The season after lifting the 1969/70 Cup Winners’ Cup, Manchester City's defence of the trophy saw them face Chelsea in the semi-finals, in what was the English sides’ only previous meeting in Europe.
Goals by Derek Smethurst and Ronald Healey gave Chelsea 1-0 wins in both legs, taking the Blues through to a final against Spanish giants Real Madrid, who they beat after a replay.
Following a 1-1 draw at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, the sides reconvened at the same venue two days later, John Dempsey and Peter Osgood earning the West Londoners a 2-1 victory.
Who played for Manchester City 51 years ago in the European Cup Winners' Cup Final?
City end 51-year wait for European final appearance
Manchester City’s first appearance in the Champions League final comes over half a century since the club last made it to the trophy decider of a European competition. That was the 1970 Cup Winners’ Cup final, in which goals by Neil Young and Francis Lee saw City beat Polish side Gornik Zabrze 2-1.
That 51-year gap the longest period a club has ever had to wait to return to a European final, surpassing Sporting CP’s 41-year hiatus between the 1964 Cup Winners’ Cup final and the 2005 UEFA Cup final.
...and Manchester City's supporters also appear to be in fine voice.
(Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Chelsea supporters enjoy a sing-along...
(Photo: REUTERS/Pedro Nunes)
Flag-bearing Chelsea fans in Porto ahead of this evening's game.
(Photo: REUTERS/Pedro Nunes)
Manchester City fans - who appear to outnumber Chelsea supporters by quite some way in Porto - enjoy the sun on a terrace.
We also have plenty of photos to show of the majority who've been enjoying themselves in a peaceful fashion in Porto, though. In this image, a group of Chelsea fans pose for a picture in front of a large replica of the Champions League trophy that has been put up in the city centre ahead of tonight's game.
(Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Trouble in Porto ahead of Champions League final
Depressingly but inevitably, the combination of British fans + sunny climes + too much lager has led to some Chelsea and Manchester City supporters getting themselves involved in violence on the streets of Porto. I mean… sigh. What is there left to say about these utter idiots?
16,500 in attendance at tonight's Champions League final
You can also watch this evening’s Champions League final in the stadium, of course - if you’re one of the lucky 16,500-odd fans who have tickets for the clash in Porto.
UEFA confirmed this week that each club would be allocated 6,000 tickets, with a further 1,700 going on sale to the general public. They sold out “within hours” on Tuesday, the governing body said.
To be allowed into the stadium tonight, fans will have to show proof of a negative covid-19 test - either a PCR dated 26-29 May or an antigen test dated 28/29 May.
(Photo: Quality Sport Images / Getty Images)
Manchester City vs Chelsea: times, TV & how to watch online
Manchester City vs Chelsea: how and where to watch
Tonight's Champions League final gets underway in three hours' time, at 8pm local time (3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT/8 pm GMT), with team news likely to arrive around an hour or so before kick-off at the Estádio do Dragão.
If you're wondering how you can tune into the game on telly/online, I suggest you take a look at our guide on how and where to watch.
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Champions League preamble
Hello! Welcome to our live coverage of today’s all-English Champions League final in Porto, as Manchester City and Chelsea go head to head for the biggest prize in men's European club football.
For City, this is a debut in the showpiece event - making it the third straight year the match has featured a newcomer, after Tottenham Hotspur in 2019 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2020. Spurs and PSG both lost, you may recall, and indeed no club has won the Champions League final at the first attempt since Borussia Dortmund stunned Juventus 24 years ago. No fewer than seven have tried.
By comparison, the Champions League final is positively old hat for Chelsea, who will be seeking their second European title in what is their third appearance in the fixture. Their two previous finals, in 2008 and 2012, also came under the ownership of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and, whoever wins tonight, it will be further testament - not that we need it at this stage - to what a bottomless pit of roubles/petrodollars can do for a club’s trophy cabinet.
While Abramovich has spent around $2.8bn on transfers since buying Chelsea in 2003, City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has himself invested only a couple of hundred million shy of that in his 13 years at the helm. As The Guardian’s Rupert Neate notes in his article 'Oligarch v sheikh: Champions League final's battle of the billionaires', both City and Chelsea have won more trophies under their current owners than in the 100-odd years before their arrival.
Whichever skipper lifts the trophy in Porto, it will also be hard to shake off the memory that this is a competition their club tried to leave two months ago.
Putting all that to one side, though, a mouth-watering match between two fantastic football teams, each managed by one of the pre-eminent coaches of the last decade or so, is in prospect. And, as with the Europa League final earlier this week, there’ll be no need for canned fan noise: we’ll have the atmosphere provided by around 16,500 supporters inside the Estádio do Dragão.
Having finished 19 points clear of Chelsea in the Premier League, newly-crowned English champions City go into tonight's final as favourites… but the Blues have won out both times the sides have met since Thomas Tuchel took charge at Stamford Bridge earlier this year.
Will Tuchel make it a hat-trick of wins over City and banish the memories of last year's final defeat with PSG, or will Pep Guardiola claim the third European title of his coaching career, having had to endure a 10-year wait to return to the Champions League trophy decider? I’m rather looking forward to finding out.