It’s almost here, Manchester City playing in their first ever Champions League final, versus Chelsea FC, making their third. Both clubs beat some impressive competition to get here, as City took out Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain in the last two rounds.
Chelsea knocked out the two Madrid clubs in the semifinal and quarterfinal rounds. If Chelsea lose on Saturday night, it will mark the third straight season in which they didn’t win a single trophy. That doesn’t sound like too big of a deal, really, but at Stamford Bridge, where Roman Abramovich demands results from his investments, it most certainly is.
Chelsea FC vs Manchester City UCL Final FYIs
Kickoff: May 29, 2pm EST, Estádio do Dragão, Porto
Team News Chelsea Manchester City
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Manchester City
Betting Preview: go here
Watch: CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, Peter Drury and Rob Green on the call
Form Guide Champions League: Manchester City (WWWWW) Chelsea (WWLDW)
It will be interesting to see how Christian Pulisic is utilized here- as a starter or supersub coming in late to close it out (like last round)? This could be a banner moment for the young man who just might become the greatest American player ever someday.
Pulisic has shown great chemistry with Mason Mount, who is most certainly undroppable for any big game at this point. We think both injury doubt players will be start, but it remains to be seen if Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante are truly 100%. But we think they’ll be match fit to feature.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction vs Manchester City (UCL Final)
Mendy; Silva, Rudiger, Zouma; Chilwell, Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Kante; Mount, Pulisic, Havertz
Prediction: Manchester City 2, Chelsea 1
Chelsea ended City’s quadruple hopes, and if anyone is going to deny them a treble, it’s probably the Blues. I just don’t think they will though.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.