MAN CITY ENTERS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL ON MAY 4, 2021, AFTER A 4-1 AGGREGATE WIN OVER PSG AT ETIHAD STADIUM. WILL THEY WIN THE DESIRABLE CUP IN ISTANBUL AND EARN THE TRIPLE?
The Premier League club reached the Champions League finals for the first time in its history.
The match against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday was the deciding factor, and the Citizens were overjoyed when the final whistle blew.
Mahrez scored two goals for City, making him the evening’s hero.
Phil Foden and Kevin de Bruyne also delivered outstanding performances. Both played important roles in the Algerian footballer’s two goals.
Kevin de Bruyne capitalized on a superb long ball from goalkeeper Ederson, but Marquinhos blocked it. Riyad made the most of the rebound, scoring his first goal past PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
In the second half, City’s strong defense paid off. Foden and Mahrez collaborated, and the winger scored his second winning goal. It increased City’s lead to 2-0.
A Trip Well Worth the Wait
Man City has been vying for a place in the Champions League since 2008.
Their match against Chelsea on May 29 will determine whether they can realize their dream of winning the prestigious cup.
The Citizens have worked tirelessly under Pep Guardiola’s management to shape themselves into a team built on unity and high-quality play.
The Abu Dhabi owners appointed him in the hope that the Catalan would win the trophy that had eluded the club for so long.
Pep has done well with the team at home, but winning Europe’s most coveted trophy is now the challenge and a palpable desire.
On April 25, they defeated Tottenham 1:0 to win their fourth consecutive Carabao Cup. Their Premier League title will be decided today at the Etihad Stadium against Chelsea. The Premier League club won the FA Cup in 2019.
So, by and large, Man City supporters have little to complain about.
City’s Reliable and Resolute Play
Pep has trained a team to compete with PSG and Bayern Munich over the last five years. Last season’s finalists received more than they expected.
The Citizens were unstoppable, and their counterattack against the French team was intimidating.
They are the first club in English football to have seven consecutive wins in the race for the Champions League title.
PSG was determined to reach this season’s Champions League final after losing to Bayern Munich last year. The resilient defensive play of City, on the other hand, was a factor that the formidable French team had to seriously consider. The absence of Kylian Mbappe didn’t help either.
“It is for all of us and the club,” Guardiola told Sky Sports News. I’m extremely proud, and my thoughts immediately turn to the players who did not play today. They all deserved to play, everyone contributed, and now it’s time to have fun. We must win the league, and we have two or three weeks to prepare for the championship game.
“They used a lot of players in the middle, and we struggled a lot in the first half due to the high press, which we changed at halftime.” We recovered the ball better in the second half and played much better, and 4-1 on aggregate against a team that beat Barcelona and Bayern Munich means a lot to us.”
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Pep Guardiola’s management track record
Three weeks from now, City will face Chelsea in their most anticipated match of the season.
Winning the Champions League trophy will not only be a feather in their cap, but it will be the defining moment for the club outside of domestic games.
They will have established themselves as a club of superpowers.
The Premier League Cup is almost in their grasp, and today’s match against Chelsea will determine the winner.
They already have the Carabao Cup, so they must now secure the Champions League trophy.
They were in contention for a quadruple but lost steam after Chelsea defeated them in the FA Cup Semi-Finals on April 17.
And, interestingly, the Blues are their opponents in both the Champions League and the Premier League this evening.
“First and foremost, when you play against Pep, you know the most difficult game has arrived because he has coached the best teams in Europe,” Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel told football. London. He leaves his mark and style of play, which is full of bravery and flexibility, and his teams are always hungry to win. He turns all of his teams into winning machines…”
Tuchel and his team, on the other hand, are prepared.
The German considers City to be the league’s benchmark, but he admits, “Obviously, there is a big gap.” It is our responsibility, as it was in the semi-final, to close the gap for 90 minutes. We will do the same thing in the final, and we will arrive there full of confidence because we believe we deserved to be there and worked hard to get there.”
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