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THE 2021 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL.

The climax of the 2020-2021 European club football competition is coming to a wrap today, Saturday 29th May in Portugal in what promises to be a mouthwatering UEFA Champions League final between two of English club best teams, Manchester City and Chelsea FC.


Today's game marks another all-London final after the final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, 2008. The game finished 1-1 after Frank Lampard cancelled out a Cristiano Ronaldo opener to take the game to extra time, and eventually, penalties.


2008 finals saw Cristiano Ronaldo missed his spot kick for United only for John Terry and Nicolas Anelka to also missed from the 12 yards. Manchester United eventually won the European most prestigious club competition that year.


Manchester City goes into today's game as the likely team to win, having not won  Europe most decorated club cup before in the club one hundred and forty one (141yrs) years  existence even with the club dominating the Premier League in the last decade and the huge financial injection by it owners.


At the other hand,  Chelsea FC have been tagged the "underdog" going into today's meeting perhaps, owing to the team struggle this season, only qualifying for the continental competition (UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE) with a last ditch win over their closest challenger, Leicester City.


The odd is against the west London club so to say, but they certainly knows how to upset the odd. The last two meetings with Manchester City, Thomas Tuchel men upset the odd by beating Pep Guardiola's men 1 - 0 in the FA Cup semi final and 2-1 at the Etihad in the premier league.


Despite the Blues struggle in the Premier League this season, it is worthy of note that on their way to the Champions League final in Porto, they have only conceded 4 goals, the same number as  Manchester City.


Ironically, the only team to blemish the records of both Chelsea and Manchester City in this season's competition has been Porto, the resident club of Estadio do Drago, where Saturday's final will be played.



Pep Guardiola has lost just one (1) in his twenty nine finals (29) in his managerial career as a senior coach, losing to Real Madrid in the Copa De Ray final in the extra time in his time at Barcelona.


 Thomas Tuchel at the other hand, is yet to lose a game to Manchester City since his arrival from Paris Saint Germain (PSG), having lost a the Champions League final last season to Bayern Munich in his time at Paris.


While Manchester City will be relying on their midfield mastro of Kelvin Bruyn and their attacking threats of Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres, Chelsea will be hoping on their midfielder, Nkolo Kanta and their stopper, Eduardo Mendy, with the former having proved very useful in every game he has played this season with his excellent ability to read games, protect the back four from the attacking threats of opponents. The side is not short of threats too.


Attention is turn to Porto for the epoch game of the season as this two great coaches flex their tactical and technical prowess in Porto tonight by 7:45pm  WAT.


It promises to be a cracker and it will certainly leave fans of football with what to discuss after the final whistle.


This is a tale of a long age rivalry, a tale of good football and a tale of the aftermath of 2020-2021 footballing season.


Patrick Ekong 

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