Read also: This was the Selena Gómez and Marshmello show in the Champions League final
But in this crazy start, unexpected, there was a constant with respect to the rest of the season: the imprecision of a Timo Werner denied in front of the goal. The German had two in the space of five minutes. A shot in the air with everything in favor in the front of the small area; a shot in front of Ederson that sent the doll. City responded with a heads-up from Phil Foden that Rudiger took out ‘in extremis’. And at the height of it all, Thiago Silva was injured, aware that fortune denied him another opportunity like last year.
But the blow did not drown Chelsea. The City was still uncomfortable, used to dominating rather than being dominated, and Mount found the key. The best ‘blue’ player of the season broke the ‘citizen’ defense with a pass between the lines that left Havertz alone. The German stumbled away from Ederson and warned the empty door of the checkmate.
He gave Guardiola 45 minutes to react. The Spanish coach had made a mistake without from the defensive midfielder, Fernandinho or Rodri, in pursuit of a more offensive team. It had a part to be the sixth team to overcome a final that came losing at half-time; the first to win his first Champions League coming back from Porto in 1987.
His calm, as the winner of three ‘Orejonas’, two as a coach and one as a player, contrasted with that of his team, where only one player had made it to this final match before. Ilkay Gündogan, and did not play metal.
Of interest: VIDEO: The surprising goal with which Chelsea took the lead against Manchester City
And on top of that, his best weapon on the pitch, his extension, was injured with a black eye after a collision with Rudiger. De Bruyne tearfully disappeared through the back door of the final. Hugging Guardiola and Lillo.
Nerves appeared. Chelsea withdrew weapons. A more mental game began to be played, more harsh, more stopped. What a restless Tuchel in the band wanted, who looked insistently at the minute hand and touched the heart attack when Azpilicueta, perfect, denied a death pass to Gündogan. And that he ended up on his knees when Pulisic was able to kill the final. He crossed a heads-up too much against Ederson with 20 minutes remaining.
Chelsea was already behind with everything; the City, without ideas, throwing centers without sense, as if their system and Guardiola were they would have blocked when noticing the close gaze of the Champions League.
The ‘Orejona’, the great objective of the sheikhs, was moving away and although Sergio Agüero entered, the magic of the meeting nine years ago against QPR was not repeated. Although there was a scare with a blocking by Christensen to Foden in the small area and with a shot from Mahrez brushing the square in the last minute.
But there was no miracle. It was the ‘Blues’ who surrendered to the field, with their second Champions in their pocket. It was City that left empty-handed and without the project completed. Guardiola is getting closer and closer, but he will have to keep looking for glory.
– Datasheet:
0 – Manchester City: Ederson; Zinchenko, Dias, Stones, Walker; Gündogan, De Bruyne (Jesús, m.59), Silva (Fernandinho, m.64); Sterling (Agüero, m.77), Mahrez and Foden.
1 – Chelsea: Mendy; Chilwell, Rudiger, Silva (Christensen, m.38), James, Azpilicueta; Jorginho, Kanté; Mount (Kovacic, m.80), Werner (Pulisic, m.66) y Havertz.
Goles: 0-1, m.42: Havertz.
Referee: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (ESP). He admonished Gündogan (m.35) and Jesús (m.88), by City, and Rudiger (m.57), by Chelsea.
Incidents: Champions League final played at the Do Dragao stadium (Porto) before 14,110 spectators.
.
