UEFA Champions League final preview: 3 things you need to know

The all-English Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea is loaded with storylines. Here’s what you need to know.

Manchester City will take on Chelsea on Saturday with the UEFA Champions League trophy on the line, the third all-English final in the tournament’s history, in what is considered the biggest game on the soccer club calendar.

Man City will be looking to win their first-ever European title at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto, Portugal, while Chelsea previously captured the trophy in 2012.

The sides met three times this season, with Chelsea winning two of those encounters. The latest was a 2-1 victory on May 8 in Manchester. Despite that record, Manchester City won the league title and league cup this season, while Chelsea, without a trophy so far this year, qualified for next season’s Champions League after finishing fourth this past Sunday.

It’s been a long road for both teams in the UCL this season. Man City, winners of Group C, defeated Borussia Monchengladbach in the round of 16, Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals and Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals. Chelsea, winners of Group E, were placed on the tougher side of the bracket, beating Atletico Madrid in the round of 16, Porto in the quarterfinals and Real Madrid in the semis.

Here are three things you need to know ahead of the final.

Who are the key players?

Manchester City has both a great offense and a solid backline. None of it could come together if not for midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian star has made the difference for Pep Guardiola’s side, helping the team generate plenty of offense thanks to his superb passing and consistency. When not playing on the wing, De Bruyne can play deeper, where he excels under Guardiola’s triangular system.

“Getting to the final now makes sense of what we have done in the past four or five years,” Guardiola told reporters. “Every day these guys have been consistent and this is remarkable.”

As for Chelsea, striker Olivier Giroud is having a great season, leading the team in scoring in the Champions League with six goals. The French striker has been solid this season, but the reality is that Thomas Tuchel’s side has lacked one consistent scorer all season. Instead, the duties have been spread among several players, including Timo Werner and budding star Mason Mount.

“If anybody would have told me at Christmas [that Chelsea would reach the final], I’m not sure if I would have believed or laughed about it,” Tuchel said in an interview with UEFA.com. “When you finish a season and you know you have one more week that’s only you and another team [preparing] for a big final in the Champions League, it’s a big gift, honestly.”

Who should Americans root for? 

The Premier League has fans across the world and many of them live in the United States. Who you should root for is something many need to consider this week, regardless of whether you already cheer for Man City or Chelsea.

For the first time in UCL history, an American can win the trophy. The game will feature two in Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic and Man City backup goalkeeper Zack Steffen. Pulisic has had a great season and is likely to start in the final. Steffan, meanwhile, will be on the bench, although anything can happen with so much on the line.

Either way, one of them will make history.

Will there be fans in attendance?

In a season plagued by pandemic restrictions regarding travel and fans in the stands, the final will feature a limited amount of spectators.

The game will have a limited capacity of 12,000 in a venue that would comfortably fit 50,000 fans. The match was moved from Istanbul to Porto earlier this month after a travel ban was placed by the British government on Turkey as it pertained to English fans because of rising virus infection rates.

The game, in the event of a draw after 90 minutes, will feature 30 minutes of extra time. Should the overtime fail to produce a winner, a penalty-kick shootout will be used to determine which team wins the Champions League.