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When Manchester City and Chelsea lock horns at the Etihad Stadium later today, the UEFA Champions League final will undoubtedly be the major talking point of the game. The all-English final is set to take place later this month after both sides recorded convincing victories against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid respectively in the semi-finals, as they prepare to go head-to-head for club football's biggest honor.Ftum
In what has been dubbed the dress rehearsal ahead of the big European showdown, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel will look to analyze each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Chelsea have been in stunning form since Tuchel took over the reins from Frank Lampard and have catapulted to fourth in the Premier League table. The Blues have booked their place in the FA Cup final after beating Manchester City in the semi-finals and also have a UEFA Champions League final to look forward to against the same opponents.
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Pep Guardiola's side, on the other hand, could be crowned Premier League champions this week and will look to seal their third domestic crown in four years with a victory at home.
Chelsea's resurgence under Tuchel has been one of the most intriguing subplots of an eventful Premier League season and the German tactician will look to scalp another feather in his cap by getting another win against Guardiola.
However, Chelsea will have their work cut out for them if they are to beat the Cityzens on their home turf. On that note, here are five reasons why the Blues could struggle to beat Manchester City later today.
#5 Thomas Tuchel's horror record vs Pep Guardiola
Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola have locked horns six times over the years and the German has emerged victorious on just one occasion. Having previously managed Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel has been on the wrong end of a handful of hammerings against Guardiola and will look to avoid another one later today.
His only victory against the legendary Spaniard came earlier this season when Chelsea and Manchester City squared off in the FA Cup semi-finals. The Blues caused a major upset and destroyed City's quadruple hopes, as they recorded a 1-0 victory courtesy of a goal from Hakim Ziyech.
Tuchel has won just once against Guardiola and will hope for a similar outcome to what happened in the FA Cup final when the two sides face off at the Etihad Stadium.
#4 Manchester City victory's against Chelsea could seal Premier League title
Manchester City's coronation is only a matter of time away, but the Cityzens will look to wrap things up quickly to prepare for the UEFA Champions League final. With a victory against Chelsea, Guardiola and co could mathematically seal the title with three games to spare irrespective of Manchester United's results in the coming weeks.
Chelsea were involved in the game that sealed the title for Liverpool last season, as their 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture handed the Reds their first league title in over 30 years.
Manchester City are expected to field a full-strength XI, so Chelsea will have to be on their toes to prevent what could be a title-sealing victory for the home side.
#3 Manchester City midfield could give Chelsea a handful of problems
While N'Golo Kante's magnificent display over two legs against Real Madrid set the tone for Chelsea's victory in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, the game against Manchester City could pose another challenge for the Blues. The Frenchman dominated the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, as the experienced midfielders failed to cope with his energy in the center of the park.
However, with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne in stunning form, Manchester City will look to win the midfield battle and control the game. Kante will be one to watch out for, but Guardiola also has a few weapons in his armory and could unleash them at the Etihad Stadium.
#2 Chelsea still not fluent enough in front of goal
Chelsea have considerably tightened things up at the back since Thomas Tuchel's arrival and successfully managed to shut out Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge earlier this week. However, the fact of the matter remains that the Blues still lack a fluent goalscorer up top, with Timo Werner still finding his feet after a difficult spell under Frank Lampard.
The 25-year-old has looked better in recent weeks and even managed to get his name on the scoresheet against Real Madrid, but he's yet to hit the heights he did for RB Leipzig. As for Olivier Giroud, he doesn't really fit the system and has mostly been used as a plan B, while Tammy Abraham has fallen out of favor under the German.
Chelsea will need to be clinical in front of goal, but their strikers have failed to produce the goods consistently this season and will need to put away the chances that come their way later today.
#1 Manchester City had an extra day off after their UCL showdown
Manchester City booked their place in the UCL final with a victory against Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, while Chelsea did so 24 hours later by beating Real Madrid. In what has been a tumultuous league season with a short turnaround time between games, the Cityzens could look to make use of their unexpected advantage.
Guardiola knows his side have an edge in this aspect and will look to make it count. Manchester City also boast arguably the strongest squad in world football, so the home side can afford to make a few changes on the night.
Chelsea are still in the top four race and cannot afford to take this game lightly, so they are likely to name a similar starting XI to the one that faced Real Madrid. Manchester City will also field a strong team, but their strength in depth allows them to rest key players without compromising on quality.
