Manchester City and Chelsea faced each other in today’s UEFA Champions League Final. Unfortunately for Riyad Mahrez and his family, the Blues finally won (0-1) and thus won their second star.
It was Algeria’s first Champions League final since 1987, and it’s also the first in Manchester City’s history. In the end, the disappointment of Riyad Mahrez and his family was great, who were defeated by Chelsea on the small margins (0-1).
The first surprises of the evening were in Pep Guardiola’s formation. The Spanish technician sided with Sterling from the start at the expense of Rodri or Fernandinho. Bernardo Silva, who played the number 9 lying during the two semi-final matches, was in the position of a midfielder just behind Mahrez.
This tactic proved to be quite problematic for the Skyblues. Chelsea, in a very compact and compact block, took advantage of the loopholes in the citizen midfielder and dominated the first half with head and shoulders, logically opening the scoring by Kay Havertz (minute 42). Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez was like his teammates: amorphous, completely wiped out. It’s very short at the 29th minute.
The second half started on a somewhat similar basis. Absent any change, Manchester City is excited but still lacking solutions. The entries of Gabriel Jesus and especially Fernandinho end in adjusting the course of the game and hence the city dominates.
Azpilicueta saves his team with an intervention in the 69th minute and moves up for the Skyblues doubly, without ever feeling they’ll score. The injured De Bruyne is no longer there to help his team tie.
Finally, in the 96th minute, at the end of the night, Riyad Mahrez grabbed the equalizer at the end of his bad right foot. His shot paralyzed the field, including Edward Mindy. It was a few centimeters that this strike missed the target and Manchester City was the first Champions League in its history.
DZfoot
