Champions League, the final. After 12 months, the seasonal epilogue of the European football elite is decided again in Portugal
: in 2020 Lisbon,
tonight it will be Porto's turn to host the third all-English final of the Champions League (edition n.66), between the very favorite Manchester City and the Chelsea outsider
.
A final, at least in the forecasts, unbalanced on the side of the Citizes, who are also making their absolute debut on such a prestigious stage. "Now they are perhaps the strongest team in Europe and they have finished with a huge advantage over us in the league", affirms the coach of the Blues, Thomas Tuchel, remembering, however, the two victories obtained over the opponents of tomorrow, in the semi-final of the Cup. 'England and in the league. Fresh from the Premier League title, the fifth in the last decade, Pep Guardiola's team seems to have reached full maturity, ready for the second European title after the Cup Winners' Cup won in the distant 1970, against the Poles of Gornik Zabrze. The coach who won everything between Spain, Germany and England has enough experience to predict a difficult match.
"We will try to play our best game, but I am sure that we will have to suffer to win the cup. I believe - he continues - that no one will dominate the whole game, so we will have to take the opportunity when it does." Tuchel - who in case of victory would become the third German coach in a row to win the Champions League (after Klopp with Liverpool and Flickcol Bayern) - has the opportunity to play for the second Champions final in the space of 10 months, after the one he lost last year on the PSG bench. For Guardiola, the one at the Estadio do Dragao - where 16,500 spectators will be present, 33% of the total capacity - will be the third, 10 years after the last, and second, triumph at the helm of Barcelona.
Londoners have achieved three Champions League finals in the last 14 years: the defeat of Moscow against Manchester United in 2008 remains the only misstep among the last six European finals played by the Blues, who redeemed themselves four years later, triumphing at Bayern Munich with substitute Roberto Di Matteo on the bench. A success that, added to the two Europa Leagues won in the following seasons, has made Chelsea enter the small circle of five clubs capable of winning the three main Uefa cups. "While we cannot yet consider ourselves at the top of European football - Guardiola parried on the eve -. City cannot yet have the confidence and tranquility with which my Barcelona played in the finals".
In the only international precedent between City and Chelsea, it was the latter who rejoiced, exactly half a century ago, in the semi-final of the Cup Winners' Cup, then won over Real Madrid. Conversely, two (domestic) finals played between the two most successful English clubs of the last decade (Chelsea won, among other things, three Premieres): in the final of the newborn Full Members' Cup (established after the disqualification of the English teams from international competitions, following the Heysel tragedy) Chelsea won; three years ago, penalties awarded City the League Cup. "In a final it is the details that make the difference - Tuchel commented -. Luck as well as mental approach counts. The City is a point of reference in Europe,we want to challenge them and get closer to their level ".