Tuchel beats Guardiola in the English derby in the final with the German’s decisive goal in the 42nd minute
Chelsea are European champions, having conquered the Champions League for the second time in its history. In the all-English final in Porto, Tuchel’s team beat Manchester City 1-0 thanks to a goal in the 42nd minute Havertz on perfect verticalization of Mount. The City at Guardiola, at the first final of the competition, he did not find the reaction in the second half clashing with the organization of the Blues.
THE MATCH
Europe has been tinged with the Blues, with merit. On the top step of European football is the Chelsea in Tuchel who at the Estadio do Dragao completed the feat with a team gathered in the running mid-season. In the all-English derby in the final against Manchester City at Guardiola, the Londoners have put forward a more precise tactical plan, studied and implemented practically to perfection from the first moment not only by finding the winning goal, but also by creating the best chances of the match before and after the Havertz stamp, al primo gol in Champions League.
Guardiola did not succeed in the surprise effect with a headache initial deployment that generated confusion, first of all to his players who for an hour were unable to find an effective game plot to find space in the Chelsea shirts. On the contrary, the Blues lined up with the usual 3-4-3 which in the defensive phase turned into a covered 5-2-3, exploiting the left wing with Mount and the verticality of Werner and Havertz from the very first minutes they created some apprehension at the defensive line of the City, attacked with speed and technique. Only Werner’s notorious inaccuracy prevented Chelsea from unlocking the contest in the first quarter of an hour of play. Harnessed Gundogan and with De Bruyne initially “false nine” instead of Foden, for Tuchel’s team the dangers were limited to the maximum by allowing only one combination between the Belgian and the English closed in split by Rudiger.
At 42 ‘the decisive action, that of victory, the exaltation of verticality. Mendy’s postponement on the feet of Azpilicueta, first pass for Mount who tows, turns and verticalizes between the two Central City for Havertz who jumps the goalkeeper and slips the winning goal. Three quick and vertical passes, with many greetings to the dribble. Ahead of a goal, the game immediately passed on the most congenial tracks to the Blues who were able to lower the center of gravity, alternating lightning-fast restarts with phases in which to slow down the maneuver even without the injured Thiago Silva.
In fact, in the second half the Manchester City he completely took control of the game, before and after De Bruyne’s injury in a violent confrontation in the middle of the field with Rudiger. Sterile ball possession that did not lead to major dangers for Mendy’s goal, never forced to save or interventions save results, indeed. The real chance happened on the feet of Pulisic at the end of another perfect counterattack orchestrated with wit by Kanté, carried out with physicality and technique by Havertz and concluded on the side in front of Ederson coming out of the American number 10, the first capable of becoming European champion.
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REPORT CARDS
De Bruyne 5 – A bad blow to the eye makes him finish the race well in advance, certainly not the best of the Belgian. Deployed by “fake snow” in Pep’s intentions, he lights up on one occasion by combining with Foden. He did not find the right position, suffering Kanté and without finding the right holes.
Foden 5,5 – The flashes of danger in the Chelsea area pass from his feet and his insertions. A super close by Rudiger denies him the joy of the goal.
Mahrez 5,5 – Ninety minutes in the shadows, closed on his band by the Chilwell-Rudiger grip. In the final siege it tries to ignite, but without finding the spark. Not even at 96 ‘when his right desperation caresses the crossbar.
Mount 7 – By taking advantage of their armband and their technique, Chelsea immediately create the best chances of the match. Provides the assist to Havertz with a perfect verticalization between the two central opponents, seeing the play even before receiving the ball in midfield.
Havertz 7,5 – Find your first Champions League goal of the season at the best possible time. Excellent insertion, icy in dribbling Ederson and putting the door. Play with elegance and effectiveness in the counterattack, sacrificing himself in the defensive phase.
Werner 5,5 – The number of shots to lengthen the defense of the City are no longer counted, as well as the kilometers covered. From the point of view of sacrifice, nothing to say, as always. But badly wastes at least two chances in the area and for one who plays the role of the attacker, you can not forgive with enough.
Edge 8 – Confirmations only. Man everywhere, in attack, in pressure, in defense, in retreat, on the wing. Look at a random spot on the field and you will find the number 7 in the Blue jersey running without making a mistake or missing a beat.
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THE TABLE
MANCHESTER CITY-CHELSEA 0-1
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson 6; Walker 6, Stones 5.5, Days 5.5, Zinchenko 5; De Bruyne 5 (14 ‘st Jesus 5), Gundogan 5, Bernardo 5 (19’ st Fernandinho 6); Mahrez 5.5, Foden 5.5, Sterling 5 (31 ‘st Aguero 6). Available: Steffen, Carson, Aké, Laporte, Rodri, Torres, Mendy, Cancelo, Garcia. All .: Guardiola 5.
Chelsea (3-4-3): Mendy 6; Azpilicueta 6, Thiago Silva 6.5 (38 ‘Christensen 6.5), Rudiger 7; James 6.5, Jorginho 6, Kanté 8, Chilwell 6.5; Havertz 7.5, Werner 5.5 (21st Pulisic 6), Mount 7 (34th Kovacic 6). A disp .: Kepa, Caballero, Alonso, Zouma, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech, Gilmour, Emerson. All .: Tuchel 7.
Referee: Lahoz
Markers: 42′ Havertz
Ammonites: Gundogan, Jesus (M); Rudiger (C)
Expelled: nobody
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OPTA STATISTICS
● Chelsea are the third English team capable of winning the Champions League on more than one occasion, after Liverpool (2004/05 and 2018/19) and Manchester United (1998/99 and 2007/08).
● Chelsea have lifted the trophy in four of the five finals played between the Champions League (in 2011/12 and 2020/21) and the Europa League (in 2012/13 and 2018/19).
● Chelsea are the team against which Pep Guardiola has lost the most games as a manager in all competitions (eight), finding defeat in all of his last three games against the Blues. In addition, the only other teams he has lost three matches against in a row in his managerial career are Real Madrid (2012-14) and Liverpool (2018).
● Thomas Tuchel is the third different German manager to win the Champions League in the past three seasons (Jurgen Klopp 2019, Hans-Dieter Flick 2020) – the first time the European Cup / Champions League has been won in three consecutive seasons of three different managers of the same nationality since 1981/82 (Brian Clough, Bob Paisley, Tony Barton).
● Thomas Tuchel became the second manager capable of winning three consecutive games in all competitions against Pep Guardiola in his managerial career with a first team, after Jurgen Klopp, who succeeded in 2018 with Liverpool.
● Kai Havertz is the first player to score his first Champions League goal in a final since İlkay Gündoğan in 2013 (against Bayern Munich with Borussia Dortmund).
● At 21 years and 352 days, Kai Havertz is the sixth youngest player to find the goal in a Champions League final and the second youngest German, after Lars Ricken in 1997 against Juventus (20 years and 322 days).
● Mason Mount (22 years and 139 days) is the youngest player to serve an assist in a Champions League final since Toni Kroos against Chelsea in 2012 (22 years and 136 days).
● Jorginho was the fourth Italian player to play in a Champions League / European Cup final as a starter for a non-Italian team, the first since Flavio Roma in 2004 with Monaco. Furthermore, he is only the second Italian player to win a Champions League / Champions Cup Final with a non-Italian team, after Christian Panucci in 1998 with Real Madrid.
● Édouard Mendy of Chelsea became the third goalkeeper to record at least nine clean sheets in a single Champions League edition, after Santiago Cañizares with Valencia in 2000/01 and Keylor Navas with Real Madrid in 2015/16.
● Thiago Silva was the fifth player to play the Champions League final in two consecutive seasons with different teams, after Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa, Samuel Eto’o and Álvaro Morata.
