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On Saturday, the club season in Europe will come to an end, and the highlight will be the "Man City" and London "Chelsea" match taking place in Porto. On the way to the final, Josep Guardiola's coached "cityzens" took the first place in Group C, in the quarterfinals they defeated Monchengladbach's "Borussia" with a total score of 4:0, forced Dortmund's "Borussia" to surrender in the quarterfinals with a score of 4:2, and in the semifinals, they fought and won against Paris Saint-Germain with a score of 4:1. In total - 11 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses, goal difference 25:4. The top scorers are Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres (each with 4 goals). "Chelsea" also became a major threat to their opponents: first place in Group E, in the round of 16 they defeated Madrid "Atletico" 3:0, in the quarterfinals - 2:1 against "Porto," and in the semifinals - 3:1 against Madrid "Real." 8 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss, goal difference 22:4. The biggest threat to the opponents' goal is veteran Olivier Giroud (6 goals).
English journalists' opinion: "Coach Thomas Tuchel may have been better than J. Guardiola in the league and FA Cup in the last two months, but the last time the Catalan used the 'fake ninth number' system, the 'cityzens' won convincingly. This match will probably be more tense, considering what is at stake, but if 'Man City' can show the same level of mastery and maturity as in the semifinals against PSG, then the trophy will be theirs," explained Matthew Howarth. "Does 'Chelsea' have a chance to win? Of course they do. Recently the 'Blues' played against 'Man City' twice and won both games - in the FA Cup semifinal and in the Premier League match in Manchester. Despite the current decline in form, T. Tuchel has created a team that is difficult to beat. Their game is based on a very solid defense. Of course, the biggest problem is finishing attacks, but 'Chelsea' has so many talented attackers that it only takes one of them to shine and the trophies will be heading to London," said Jonas Phipps.
Predicted Starting Lineups: "Manchester City": Ederson; Walker, Stones, Rúben Dias, Zinchenko; Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Foden; "Chelsea": Mendy; Christensen, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Pulisic, Werner, Mount.
Time and Referee: The match, which will start at 22:00, will be led by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu.
