It’s an all-England final of the 2021 UEFA Champions League. Manchester City takes on Chelsea in a Premier League showdown to take Europe’s top club crown Saturday, May 29, at 3 p.m. ET. Can Manchester City achieve the treble by winning the Carabao Cup, the Premier League, and the Champions League — or will Chelsea notch a third straight win over their EPL rivals and end an up-and-down season on a glorious note? Here’s our UCL Final Manchester City vs Chelsea Prediction, packed with 2021 UEFA Champions League Final odds, betting picks, and tips.
Manchester City vs Chelsea Prediction: 2021 UEFA Champions League Final Odds, Bet Tips & Picks
When Is The 2021 UCL Final Kickoff?
Saturday, May 29, at 3 p.m. ET, from Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal. (The finals were originally scheduled to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, but COVID-19 travel restrictions from the United Kingdom forced UEFA to make the switch.)
The 2021 UEFA Champions League Finals will be broadcast on Paramount+, TUDN Deportes and Univision.
2021 UEFA Champions League Finals: Match Result Odds
- Manchester City (-115)
- Draw (+240)
- Chelsea (+340)
- Manchester City or Draw (-475)
- Manchester City or Clesea (-325)
- Draw or Chelsea (-105)
2021 UEFA Champions League odds are current as of Monday, May 24.
2021 UEFA Champions League match result odds are provided by PointsBet. PointsBet offers new players 2 Second-Chance Bets for up to $2,000 where sports betting is legal! Sign up to claim this welcome promotion and place 2021 Champions League Finals bets.
Can Christian Pulisic, shown scoring a goal in the UCL semifinals vs Real Madrid, help Chelsea conquer heavy 2021 UCL Final favorites Manchester City? (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
2021 UCL Finals: Form Update
- Man City has won seven of its past 10 matches across all competitions.
- Chelsea has lost three of its past four fixtures and five of its past 10.
2021 UEFA Champions League Tournament Recap
MANCHESTER CITY
One of the favorites since the original draw, Man City flew through the group stage, finishing first on the Group C table at 5-1-0. Pep Guardiola‘s club defeated Monchengladbach on 4-0 aggregate in the Round of 16; tamped down Borussia Dortmund on 4-2 aggregate in the quarterfinal; and came through with an authoritative 4-1 aggregate to outlast Paris Saint-Germain in the two-legged semifinals.
CHELSEA
Chelsea also wrapped up first place in the round-robin stage, netting a 4-2-0 line in Group E. Thomas Tuchel‘s Blues cleared Atletico Madrid 3-0 in the Round of 16; held on 2-1 over Porto; and upended Real Madrid 3-1 aggregate in the semis.
Olivier Giroud ranks among the top 10 with six goals in the tournament so far.
Manchester City vs Chelsea Matchup Preview
Chelsea won two of three fixtures with City this season — including a 1-0 upset of the Sky Blues in the FA Cup semifinals thanks to an Hakim Ziyech goal — with both victories after ousting Frank Lampard and installing Tuchel at the helm. They split wins in their Premier League meetings, though, with City outscoring them 4-3 on the aggregate.
Can Tuchel conquer Pep’s False 9 for the third straight time? This club boasts the speed and a tantalizing mix of experience and youth to strike quickly if City makes any mistakes in midfield work.
Stacked roster aside, City’s most important conundrum, as usual, will be managing the left-back position. Will Oleksandr Zinchenko or Ayermic Laporte start? At least MCFC will have Joao Cancelo back from suspension.
Manchester City vs Chelsea Injuries To Monitor
Via their domination in the Premier League — having clinched long before Sunday’s finale — Man City has enjoyed a chance to rest their main names heading into Porto. Ilkay Gundogan (lower body) confirmed he’ll be good to go after suffering a bit of a knock last Tuesday vs. Brighton. When midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne missed several stretches with injury, the German provided heaps of offense, and he found a new scoring touch with 13 goals in the Premier League.
Chelsea has its own fitness concerns. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy left the club’s Premier League season finale at halftime Sunday. Will Chelsea have to turn to Kepa Arrizabalaga, who minded the net during the FA Cup Championship loss to Leicester City, to match up with MCFC stalwart Ederson?
2021 UCL Finals: Match Official Assignments
- Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)
- Assistant referees: Pau Cebrián Devís (ESP), Roberto del Palomar (ESP)
- Video Assistant Referee: Alejandro Hernández (ESP)
- 4th official: Carlos del Cerro Grande (ESP)
2021 UCL Final: Manchester City vs Chelsea Prediction
Manchester City 2, Chelsea 1
Man City’s possession dominance and deep midfield, led by De Bruyne’s wizardry, should eventually win out. This squad knows how to control the tempo to maddening degrees when necessary, and Chelsea breaking through to defeat them three times in the same season seems like a tall hurdle.
Chelsea certainly has the battle-tested head-to-head success to again deny their opponents a trophy. But Man City’s backline has been solidified by Ruben Dias and, with a healthy, fully loaded starting XI, should do just enough to stave off a potentially furious Chelsea push in the second half.
Manchester City vs Chelsea Bet Picks & Props
Man City vs Chelsea: Over 2.5 Goals Scored (+125)
The true burden of this bet could rest on Chelsea’s shoulders, though of course City has the firepower to uphold the bargain all by themselves.
Per FootyStats, 83% of City’s games and 75% of Chelsea’s 2021 Champions League games have seen 2+ total goals. The 3+ outings have been less frequent, of course, at just 33% for Chelsea — but Man City’s are 58%, mainly at the hands of strong clubs like Dortmund and PSG. Chelsea arguably provides a similar front that can break through and pot at least one.
Chelsea has outscored City 3-1 in their two-game versus win streak. The positive odds justify latching onto the possibility that we can grab at least 1 goal from the pool of Giroud, Ziyech (who has two goals vs. MCFC this year), Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, and even Timo Werner.
Given Chelsea’s penchant for running successful counters versus City this year, a game with 3+ goals feels like a promising cash on positive odds.
Manchester City (-115) on the moneyline
For the favored City, these outright win odds are much friendlier than this writer was expecting.
