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Get ready for Saturday’s Champions League final with theScore’s comprehensive preview package.
How to watch
- Who: Chelsea vs. Manchester City
- When: Saturday, May 29 at 3:00 p.m. ET
- Where: Estadio do Dragao (Porto, Portugal)
- Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
- TV: CBS, TUDN (U.S.)
- Stream: Paramount+ and fuboTV (U.S.), DAZN (Canada)
Analysis
Tactics, key questions, and more heading into Saturday’s tilt.
Further reading
Dive deep into some of the storylines surrounding the contest.
Injury news
The latest updates on the key lineup questions.
| Player | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|
| N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) | Hamstring | Back in training |
| Edouard Mendy (Chelsea) | Rib | Back in training |
| Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City) | Thigh | TBD |
Possible lineups
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Mendy; Rudiger, Silva, James; Chilwell, Jorginho, Kante, Azpilicueta; Mount, Pulisic; Werner
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko; Fernandinho, Gundogan, Silva; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Foden
By the numbers
Comparing this season’s Champions League statistics for the two finalists.
| Chelsea | Manchester City | |
|---|---|---|
| 8-3-1 | Record | 11-1-0 |
| 22 | Goals Scored | 25 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 4 |
| Giroud (6) | Top Scorer(s) | Mahrez and Torres (4) |
And looking into some advanced metrics.
| Chelsea | Manchester City | |
|---|---|---|
| 21.0 | Expected Goals (xG) | 21.1 |
| 7.4 | xG Against | 6.2 |
| +1.13 | xG Difference per 90 | +1.25 |
What they’re saying
Pep Guardiola: “I am so confident in my team. You cannot imagine how confident I am in my team and what we have to do. … They have beaten us in two games, congratulations, but this is a different competition and a final and we will see what happens.”
Thomas Tuchel: “(City) are the benchmark in Europe and in this league, and we are the guys who want to hunt them and want to close the gap. The experience (of beating them twice) helped. It gives you, not an advantage, but it helps us to arrive with confidence, to be well aware of what is needed to have a chance to beat them.”
Mateo Kovacic: “(Tuchel) came in and from the first minute, the players felt a great connection with him, from the first meeting. It was like he had been here for two years so it came quite naturally, everything … I think the team completely changed, how we approach games, like we were more confident, solid at the back, not conceding anything in the last two or three months.”
Kevin De Bruyne: “We understand the magnitude of (the match). If you win, you’re a hero, and if you don’t you’re almost a failure, even though you are not. … Obviously, it’s been one of the goals of the club and one of the players to be here and perform on the highest stage in the world. It’s a privilege. Everyone understands the pressure.”
Prediction
After so much Champions League disappointment at Manchester City, Guardiola finally delivers the big-eared trophy the club’s brass so desperately craves. Tuchel has made Chelsea sturdier and far more resilient, but, after two victories against City this season, the German tactician won’t be able to mastermind one final triumph. Superior talent will win out.
Final score: Manchester City 2, Chelsea 1
