VIDEO: Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in Champions League final

Chelsea are champions of Europe after beating Manchester City 1-0 in the Uefa Champions League final.

A frenetic first half made for enthralling viewing even without too many clear-cut chances at either end, with Thomas Tuchel’s side suffering the loss of Thiago Silva through injury.

But the moment of the match came as Kai Havertz broke through the defence, rounded Ederson and finished into the empty net just a few minutes before the half-time whistle.

City’s attempts to mount a comeback suffered a blow as Kevin de Bruyne departed injured on the hour mark and Pep Guardiola’s side struggled to create real chances thereafter, with some heroic defensive clearances and the brilliant showing from N’Golo Kante keeping the Premier League winners at bay.

Chelsea’s Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring his team's first goal at the Dragao stadium in Porto. AFP

Christian Pulisic had a chance to clip home the killer second for Chelsea, but sent his effort wide, before Riyad Mahrez lashed a half-volley just over the bar in City’s final attempt - with the final whistle being greeted by scenes of jubilation from the 6,000 fans from Stamford Bridge inside the stadium.

Lineup

Manchester City (4-3-3)

Ederson;

Kyle Walker,

Ruben Dias,

John Stones,

Oleksandr Zinchenko;

Ilkay Gundogan,

Kevin De Bruyne (capt),

Bernardo Silva;

Riyad Mahrez,

Phil Foden,

Raheem Sterling

Coach: Pep Guardiola (ESP)

 

Chelsea (3-4-1-2)

Edouard Mendy;

Reece James,

Thiago Silva,

Antonio Rudiger;

Cesar Azpilicueta (capt),

N'Golo Kante,

Jorginho,

Ben Chilwell;

Mason Mount;

Timo Werner,

Kai Havertz

Coach: Thomas Tuchel (GER)

Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)

The finalists were among the 12 clubs which announced their breakaway project in April but were also among the first to withdraw in the face of fan anger — those supporters are now hoping to be celebrating European glory in Portugal this weekend.

 

It is the third final of Europe's elite club competition between two Premier League sides, and the second in just three seasons, such is the financial might of the English game.

And these are the two clubs whose own transformations in the last two decades under mega-rich foreign owners have done the most to change the landscape of the Premier League.

Chelsea and City have not met in a final since 1986 in the short-lived Full Members Cup, when the London club won 5-4 at Wembley.

That was before the Premier League and modern Champions League existed, before Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 and before the Abu Dhabi takeover of City in 2008. Between them they have won seven of the last 10 Premier League titles.

Chelsea have experience at this stage in Europe before, having beaten Bayern Munich on penalties in the 2012 final. They have also won the Europa League twice since then.

City have never made it this far, but are finally here, after 13 years of enormous investment under Sheikh Mansour and four years of disappointment under Guardiola, the man who was hired principally to win this competition.

"When you reach the final of the Champions League you finish part of the process that started five years ago," said Guardiola on Friday.

After romping to the Premier League title, their third in four seasons, and also winning the League Cup, a City side starring Kevin De Bruyne and Ruben Dias, among others, are the favourites at the Estadio do Dragao.

"We as players understand the magnitude of the game," playmaker De Bruyne said on Friday. "If you win you're a hero, if you lose you're almost a failure."

"I'm pretty sure we have to suffer to win the final," added Guardiola, who guided Barcelona to the European crown in 2009 and 2011. "It's nice to say enjoy it but sometimes it's not possible. You have to be resilient and adjust."

Chelsea have been transformed since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as coach in January, even if they did finish the domestic season with three defeats in four games including the FA Cup final against Leicester City.

They have beaten City twice in the last six weeks, first in the Cup semi-final and then in Manchester in the league.

"They are maybe in the moment the strongest team in Europe and maybe the world. They have built a huge gap between them and us in the league but we closed the gap for 90 minutes at Wembley and away at City and this is what we want to do tomorrow," Tuchel said on Friday.

Covid-19 again casts its shadow over the final, which is being played in Porto following the late decision to move it from Istanbul.

For the second year running, the Turkish metropolis was denied the chance to host the occasion after the UK government put the country on its travel red list, preventing fans from England attending.

Just like last year when Lisbon was the last-minute solution, Portugal rode to the rescue, with the country one of the few on the UK's green travel list.

There are few more charming host cities than Porto, with its cobbled streets tumbling towards the waterfront which looks across to the port wine warehouses on the other side of the Douro River.

English fans began gathering on Friday on cafe terraces under blazing blue skies. With Portuguese authorities allowing the Estadio do Dragao to be filled to 33 percent capacity, there will be 16,500 spectators, including 6,000 fans of each club.

Many more are expected in the city without tickets and there will be two fan zones, one for supporters of each side, including one under a giant inflatable Champions League trophy on the city's main Avenida dos Aliados.

A negative coronavirus test is required to enter but fans are being permitted to consume alcohol before being bussed off to the match venue.

Saturday's match is being televised in over 200 countries.