Manchester City headed by Pep Guardiola will face their Premier League rivals Chelsea led by Thomas Tuchel in the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 Finals on May 29, 2021.
It will definitely be a difficult task for Guardiola to find a way to break down a team that has kept 18 clean sheets in Tuchel’s 24-match reign. Chelsea have conceded just two goals in six knockout games.
Pep Guardiola vs Thomas Tuchel : Relationship
“He’s a friend of mine and I’m happy to see him.”
Pep Guardiola told the reporters when Thomas Tuchel was announced as the new Chelsea manager in January.
Guardiola and Tuchel, of course, have a healthy relationship and mutual respect dating back to their time together in Germany.
Both coaches have faced each other frequently in the Bundesliga and also in England. Various encounters occurred between them when Thomas Tuchel was the coach of Mainz and Dortmund FC and Pep Guardiola was the coach of Bayern Munich. Tuchel and Guardiola’s first meeting in England came in the FA Cup semi finals, and Tuchel’s Chelsea eliminated Pep’s Manchester City from the tournament. It will be a chance for City to revenge their FA Cup elimination.
Pep Guardiola vs Thomas Tuchel : Champions League Record
Prior to UEFA Champions League finals, Tuchel had drawn one and lost four of his previous five meetings with the City boss Guardiola during their respective spells in Germany. Although, Tuchel has won two out of two since his arrival in England. They have never faced each other in a European clash till now.
Both the coaches have been involved in three Champions League finals in the past. Thomas Tuchel has appeared only one time in a Champions League final as a manager. And that appearance ended in disappointment. Pep Guardiola has won the two finals he has appeared in as a manager, guiding Barcelona to glory against Manchester United in both 2009 and 2011.
Thomas Tuchel will be looking to get his hands on the trophy for the first time. On the other hand, Pep Guardiola with a win against Chelsea in final of Champions League might join Bob Paisley, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane as the only managers to win the European Cup three times.
