Champions League final, 2021, as it happened: Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 to lift their second trophy

Are you ready for penalties? The teams themselves are.

After Manchester United lost 11-10 on pennos in the Europa League final to Villarreal, we could see similar in the Champions League, with both teams apparently having practiced spot kicks this week. Could be a late night...

Team news

It's a fully-fit squad for Chelsea, as N'Golo Kante and Edouard Mendy shake off knocks. Mateo Kovacic could only start on the Blues' bench as a result.

The big selection decisions for Thomas Tuchel will likely come at the sharp end of the pitch. Olivier Giroud has proven himself a key weapon in Europe, though Timo Werner's pace on the break could be invaluable against a Manchester City side who will want the lion's share of possession. Christian Pulisic netted against Real Madrid to strengthen his claim for a spot in the final, while Hakim Ziyech scored against City in the FA Cup semi-final. And let's not forget Kai Havertz...

Pep Guardiola is only really sweating on the fitness of Ilkay Gundogan. City's top scorer this season is a doubt for the big game, which could give a place to one of Fernandinho, Bernardo Silva or even the impressive Ferran Torres from the start. Silva is one of three Portuguese players - Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo, being the other two - hoping to be crowned European champions in their home country.

Raheem Sterling is likely to face the biggest snub. The no.7 is a likely starter for England this summer but has struggled to displace the prodigious Phil Foden on the left of City's 4-3-3. Kevin De Bruyne is expected to start up front, with Sergio Aguero likely to cameo in his final-ever game for the Citizens.

How can Thomas Tuchel unlock his Timo Werner's potential?

FourFourTwo's Ed McCambridge looks at the German striker's wretched form in front of goal this season and asks how this same player - who was so key at RB Leipzig - is suffering so badly in English football.

FourFourTwo's Mark White has written about why Riyad Mahrez could be the most important player in Manchester City’s ruthless machine.

With the Algerian key for City in the Champions League this season and providing that extra spark of chaos in Pep Guardiola's well-oiled machine, could he be the difference against Chelsea tonight?

This is the first Champions League final ever to be held in Porto, by the way. 

Lisbon has held it four times, most recently last year. Poor Istanbul have been booked to do it for two years running and been passed over twice. Ruddy COVID. 

That Champions League trophy really is huge up close, isn't it?

It's a balmy day in Portugal. Perfect weather for the occasion. 

The Champions League isn't the only big final happening today, of course. 

Brentford are 2-0 up at half-time against Swansea in the play-off final at Wembley.

Is the Bees' hoodoo finally going to end? 

If you've got ten minutes this afternoon, make sure you read Chris Flanagan's wonderful piece on how Didier Drogba won the Champions League for Chelsea when all looked lost in 2012... 

Didier Drogba's last dance: How Chelsea's talisman delivered the Champions League

A must-read for Chelsea fans!

City and Chelsea will be playing new faces in the Premier League next season - congratulations to Brentford, who have won the Championship play-off final!

Pep Guardiola last won the Champions League ten years ago this month. In that time, this is the furthest he’s gotten in the competition… 

…the journeys through the Champions League have often been unpredictable, poetic and downright shocking, however. 

Let's get some stats, then. Pep Guardiola has lost just one true final in his entire career: the 2011 Copa Del Rey, in which Real Madrid beat Barcelona, thanks to a solitary Cristiano Ronaldo goal.

All his other final defeats were German Super Cups to Borussia Dortmund. Not really finals. Chelsea will have to change a decade of a tide tonight… 

Line-ups

Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Stones, Zinechenko; Bernardo, Gundogan, Foden; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Sterling

Chelsea: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell; Havertz, Werner, Mount

Some huge surprises in those starting line-ups, then. 

Once again, Pep Guardiola doesn't go for the obvious in a big game, omitting both Fernandinho and Rodri, with no holding player. Joao Cancelo is also left on the bench, though Raheem Sterling gets the start we didn't expect.

Chelsea's all-time record signing, Kai Havertz, starts too. One of Christian Pulisic or Hakim Ziyech probably expected the nod for this one. 

For our money, that's Ilkay Gundogan or Oleksandr Zinchenko in the no.6 role for City. Walker, Dias and Stones will stay as a back three on the ball, with one of the aforementioned players guarding them. 

Chelsea look likely to hit on the break, with the pace of the two Germans, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz looking to expose Stones and Dias.

Chelsea only have a 36% win record so far this season when they’ve selected N’Golo Kante and Jorginho in the midfield together. That’s the midfield that started the FA Cup final - and it's the one that starts tonight.

Mateo Kovacic alongside Kante is unbeaten as a partnership this season, while Kovacic and Jorginho in midfield together has a 77% win rate. 

Has Thomas Tuchel made the right choice tonight?

Just under an hour to kick-off tonight. 

Want to know where Thomas Tuchel rates his Chelsea team? Right-wing-back. His most-played players so far at Stamford Bridge are Reece James (28 times) and Cesar Azpilicueta (26). 

Phil Foden was behind the goal when Sergio Aguero scored the winner in Manchester City's most iconic game. Now, the attacker starts - with Aguero on the bench in his last-ever City game - in a match that might top that QPR win.

We spoke to the youngster last year about his development as a player and his ambitions.

Manchester could tonight become the first non-capital city to have produced two teams that have won the Champions League. The other, of course, is Milan.

Manchester City are tonight becoming the ninth English side to have competed in the final, after Manchester United (1968, 1999, 2008, 2009 and 2011), Leeds United (1975), Liverpool (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1985, 2005, 2007, 2018 and 2019), Nottingham Forest (1979 and 1980), Aston Villa (1982), Arsenal (2006), Chelsea (2008 and 2012) and Tottenham Hotspur (2019).

Those line-ups again for you...

In case you missed it, there are huge surprises in the line-ups for tonight's game, as Manchester City start without a true defensive midfielder.

You can see the line-ups and benches in full here.

"I live in London. The abuse I'm going to get from taxi drivers if we lose... is going to be relentless," says Oasis legend and Man City superfan Noel Gallagher live on BT Sport, admitting he's "bricking it" for tonight.

Chill out, Noel. You've just gotta Roll With It tonight...

Here’s a fun fact for the WhatsApp group. Chelsea hold the distinction of being the first club to have won the Champions League in the 21st Century, having never won it in the 20th Century. Tonight, they’re defending that record from Manchester City - who could become the second. 

Pep Guardiola could join an elite group tonight, as the sixth manager to win the Champions League at two different clubs. 

The others are Carlo Ancelotti with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007 and Real Madrid in 2014; Ernst Happel with Feyenoord in 1970 and Hamburg in 1983; Ottmar Hitzfeld with Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern Munich in 2001; Jose Mourinho, with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010; and Jupp Heynckes with Real Madrid in 1998 and Bayern Munich in 2013.

Pep is, by the way, one of seven men to have won the Champions League as a player and a manager. The others are Miguel Munoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff, Carlo Ancelotti, Frank Rijkaard and Zinedine Zidane.

Guardiola will jump into joint-first when it comes to the most Champions League wins ever as a manager, should City triumph. The Catalan has two medals in his cabinet right now - only Bob Paisley, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane have three.

Odds

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Man City 9/10

Draw 47/20

Chelsea 10/11

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We're very nearly ready for kick-off. 

While Pep is supreme in finals - Tuchel is less so. He’s played seven and lost four. He can’t even claim to be the underdog in the FA Cup final to Leicester or 2019’s Coupe de France final, which saw his PSG side lose to Rennes on penalties. We’ll let him have the 1-0 defeat against Bayern Munich last summer, though. 

Do make sure to join in with Champions League bingo tonight - we're not sure anyone will get all 25 but worth a try, right?

Look at those scenes... beautiful.

KICK-OFF! Tonight is the seventh Champions League final between two clubs from the same nation. It’s the third all-English affair, following Manchester United vs Chelsea in 2008 and Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur in 2019. Let's go!

1 min: We can see the City shape, now. Zinchenko and Gundogan are the central double-pivot, ahead of the back three on the ball, as we expected. 

Foden is very central and there's likely to be positional fluidity between the Stockport Iniesta, De Bruyne and even Sterling out on that left-hand side. 

3 min: Unlike in the FA Cup final, Chelsea are starting Reece James as the right-wing-back and not at right-centre-back. Azpilicueta takes the spot in the back three.

Azpilicueta, Silva and Rudiger are Thomas Tuchel's favourite back three, by the way. They have won two-thirds of their games as a backline since the German took over. 

7 min: CHANCE! Ederson launches the ball up to Raheem Sterling, but Reece James is there to clear. City have a corner. 

It's as we expected from this one. Manchester City are circulating the ball with Chelsea pressing them tentatively. City's players are looking switch positions and find the space between Chelsea's tight defensive lines. 

9 min: CHANCE! Timo Werner has the ball to feet and miskicks in front of goal. Then Sterling creates a chance at the other end. This is tight.

12 min: Both teams feeling each other out early on. It's not been City dominating quite as comprehensively as we thought.

The crowd has definitely helped to pick up the tempo. Thank goodness. Last year's final was drab.

13 min: CHANCE! It's Werner again. Chilwell squares the ball to the German, who knocks it into Ederson's gloves.

14 min: CHANCE! Werner once again. Side netting, Chelsea corner. 

17 min: Kante has a header go over. It would be typical Guardiola to concede to a 5'6 man's head - but not this time. 

This is the eighth meeting between these two coaches.

Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel have met each other seven times on the pitch. Pep’s won four of those games to Tommy’s two, while the other was a draw.

It’s worth noting, however, that Tuchel has won both games against his City counterpart in the Chelsea dugout. The other five games all came against Bayern while Tuchel was managing Dortmund and Mainz. 

22 min: Raheem Sterling goes down under a Reece James challenge and puts his hands on the ball. The referee gives Chelsea the free-kick; a refreshing sight. That doesn't really happen often, does it?

24 min: N'Golo Kante is fouled by Ruben Dias: Chelsea free-kick. James takes but it doesn't threaten City. 

25 min: Reece James is going to get home tonight, empty his pockets and find his keys, his wallet and Raheem Sterling. He's marshalling him excellently.

27 min: CHANCE! Foden is through but foiled by an Antonio Rudiger block. Superb defending from the German.

29 min: CHANCE! Kyle Walker has no right to get to the ball but still pokes the ball into Mahrez, who can't get his foot to the chance. 

Is he going to get a better opportunity?

32 min: There was a check, just then, for a red card after a foul on Mason Mount. No red. No foul. Still not entirely sure what happened.

34 min: YELLOW! Ilkay Gundogan goes into the book - he's the first man on a yellow. He hasn't quite mastered the Fernandinho Tactical Foul as of yet...

35 min: Kurt Zouma is warming up, since Thiago Silva is holding his groin. It looks like the oldest man on the field is just having to take a breather. 

We've got a feature on the rise of Chelsea's Mason Mount in our new issue. You can order the magazine from the dropdown.

37 min: Just like at rapper Dave's Glastonbury set, Thiago Silva is going off. Andreas Christensen replaces the grand old man of Chelsea's defence, distraught at having his game ended in the first half. 

40 min: Despite the reputation that Pep Guardiola has for loving passing, attacking, complicated football, he just gave a thumping round of applause for a Zinchenko defensive header. 

He's been faultless so far, to be fair, and more than rewarded his boss's faith of putting him in ahead of Joao Cancelo.

41 min: GOAL! Kai Havertz slides the ball into an open net, as Ederson misses the tackle on the onrushing German. Chelsea 1-0 City.

That's Havertz's first Champions League goal ever. What a time for it. 

HALF-TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 0-1 CHELSEA

We all know how good Chelsea are when they go ahead under Thomas Tuchel. City have a mountain to climb if they're going to overturn this one. 

Need to stay busy this half-time? We've got 50 big Champions League questions in our ultimate quiz of the competition. 

City have been stung but the Chelsea sucker-punch once more. It's 1-0 Chelsea at half-time. 

It's been the 5-2-3 shape of Chelsea against the 3-2-5 of Manchester City. Both teams are matching each other up perfectly.

Not since Dortmund in 1997, has a team won their first Champions League final - City have to do something that hasn't happened in 24 years, if they're to win.

He's been quiet in this first half, as Reece James marks him out of the game - but Raheem Sterling has been talking to FourFourTwo about England's chances at the Euros.

He's one of seven England stars on the field right now.

THE SECOND HALF KICKS OFF: The teams have swapped sides and there are no half-time substitutions. We go again. 

45 min: It's 45 minutes in but FourFourTwo have just noticed that Chelsea are wearing their 2020/21 shirt, not the new 2021/22 shirt that they debuted in the FA Cup final. Must be a UEFA protocol we skipped in the handbook... 

48 min: Man City are looking to go a little more direct. They've just had a Walker cross collected by Mendy, while Foden's free-kick of a few minutes ago thwacked Kante. Don't be surprised if Jesus and Aguero make entrances. 

Very Fernando Torres, wasn't it?

53 min: Ruben Dias recovers well to slide last-minute and prevent Werner from getting onto the ball. Clearly, Chelsea rate their forward's chances of getting onto the ball before either City centre-back.

55 min: YELLOW! Kevin De Bruyne and masked-up Antonio Rudiger clash together. Hopefully it's not serious for either but it looks like a booking for Chelsea's German defender. 

58 min: Kevin De Bruyne goes off injured with a black eye and he's absolutely distraught. Kyle Walker chucks the captain's armband to Raheem Sterling, as Gabriel Jesus comes on for the stricken Belgian. It's a proper striker up front for City... but it's not King Kun. 

59 min: City are furious. The ball came flying in at Reece James and the sky blue shirts are calling for a penalty. It looks like VAR are saying no - and the referee, too, was adamant it wasn't a foul. 

62 min: Fernandinho and Christian Pulisic are warming up. Both could be imminent.

63 min: It's Fernandinho on for Bernardo Silva. Ilkay Gundogan, the 17-goal top scorer at the Etihad this season, moves out of defensive midfield. And we thought Pep was beyond overthinking...

65 min: Christian Pulisic on, Timo Werner off. It's another difficult night for Timo as Pulisic becomes the first American to play in a Champions League final. Yee-haw... or whatever those chaps like to say. 

66 min: CHANCE! Azpilicueta has just got to the ball before Gundogan to clear the ball away from a certain equaliser. 

68 min: Cesar Azpilicueta is down injured after his knee clashes with Gabriel Jesus's. Callum Hudson-Odoi is warming up.

70 min: The game in a nutshell there. Sterling gets no change from James, goes backwards and Kante nicks it. If this was Mourinho, it would be called a masterclass.

72 min: CHANCE! Havertz ties the City defence in knots on the counter, before laying off to Pulisic. The American chips it over Ederson but sees the ball bounce past the post. That would have been game over. 

73 min: CHANCE! Sterling pulls the ball back from the by-line and everyone misses it bar Chilwell. Sergio Aguero is ready to come on...

74 min: Substitution. For the final time, Sergio Aguero comes onto the field for Manchester City, as Raheem Sterling jogs off.

76 min: Corner for Man City. The crowd roar. City are putting Chelsea under more and more pressure. Is the goal coming?

79 min: Mateo Kovacic is ready and waiting to comes on for Chelsea. It's Mason Mount off.

80 min: Gareth Southgate will be happy tonight with the performances of both James and Chilwell, as Chilwell just wins Chelsea a free-kick and clocks some more seconds off this match. Both wing-backs have been excellent for the Blues. 

83 min: The game's slowing down as Chelsea win free-kicks and manage this slender lead. It's hard to really think of a big, big chance that City have had. Perhaps it's yet to come...

85 min: CHANCE! Neither Aguero and Foden can get to a spinning Walker ball from 30 yards out. Time is ticking.

87 min: YELLOW! Gabriel Jesus is booked as Havertz sits on a heap in the floor. 

89 min: CHANCE! What a block from Andreas Christensen, as Foden gets to the cutback. There will be a whopping seven minutes of added time.

90 min: Havertz is down again. Chelsea are doing everything they can to slow this game down. Not long now to hold on...

90 min + 2: Walker's going for a long throw. City rolling the dice. 

90 + 3 min: City are throwing the kitchen sink at this as Chelsea sit back and defend like titans. Fernandinho has just caught Kante and Tuchel is whipping up the Chelsea fans. The finish line is in sight. 3

90 min + 4: Walker launches another long throw but Rudiger is down and Chelsea have the free-kick. 

90 min + 5: Christensen has been excellent tonight and he's just pushed Jesus off the ball again.

90 min + 6: CHANCE! Mahrez just caught the ball on the volley and saw it fly over. Was that the chance? One minute to play.

FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 0-1 CHELSEA

THAT'S IT - Blue is the colour! Chelsea have won the Champions League for the second time! 

Chelsea players are going wild on the pitch. Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola embrace, as Sergio Aguero bursts into tears. Not the way he wanted his City career to end. 

This is the third time in a row that City have been beaten by Tuchel's Chelsea since the German arrived in English football. 

Des Kelly asks Kai Havertz about how much he cost as a Chelsea player and the pressure that comes from that. 

"To be honest, I couldn't give a f***, we've won the f***ing Champions League!" comes the reply. 

Thomas Tuchel is not your average manager. Take a bow though, Tom. You're the third German in a row to lift the Champions League.

Now comes the trophy lift and medal presentation. All eyes on social media will no doubt be on the City players and which ones don't take their medals off straight away.

"Sergio doesn't share the striker spot"

Chelsea are receiving their medals as each of the players kisses Old Big Ears on the way to the podium. But enough about Gary Lineker, the players are also giving a peck to the trophy.

Drink it in, Chelsea fans

The winning goal

This is the goal that goes down in Chelsea folklore. Remember the name: Kai Havertz.

Pep Guardiola has lost the Champions League final for the first time tonight. He'll be back, we feel...

One Step Beyond by Madness rings out in the Estadio Dragao. Locals are probably wondering what the bloody hell that English song is but Chelsea fans are having a whale of a time.