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Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Three lessons learnt as Blues advance

By Gabe Henderson

Chelsea's English midfielder Mason Mount leaves the pitch after being substituted off during the UEFA Champions League second leg semi-final football match between Chelsea and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge in London on May 5, 2021. - Chelsea won the match 2-0. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea's English midfielder Mason Mount leaves the pitch after being substituted off during the UEFA Champions League second leg semi-final football match between Chelsea and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge in London on May 5, 2021. - Chelsea won the match 2-0. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 17: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City gives his team instructions during the Semi Final of the Emirates FA Cup match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Wembley Stadium on April 17, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Ian Walton – Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 17: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City gives his team instructions during the Semi Final of the Emirates FA Cup match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Wembley Stadium on April 17, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Ian Walton – Pool/Getty Images) /

3. We’ve got a dress rehearsal on Sunday

It may not be the final that many across Europe wanted, but it’s the final we’ve got. Chelsea and Manchester City will square off against one another on May 29 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in the second all-English Champions League final over the last three years. The match-up is now set in stone, which means that there will also be a dress rehearsal on Sunday.

Ironically enough, due to the postponement of Manchester United versus Liverpool, this contest could now officially decide the Premier League. If Man City captures three points at The Etihad, Pep Guardiola’s men clinch the domestic title for the third time in four years. The best part? That storyline now takes a back seat to the fact that the same two clubs will meet in a matter of weeks for Europe’s biggest prize.

Back to Sunday though.

Sunday’s game will likely see neither side tip their hand too much ahead of the Champions League final later in the month. The Citizens have all but officially wrapped up the Premier League title, so they’ll likely take a relatively reserved approach to the game. It’s a far more important clash for Chelsea seeing as, despite being UCL finalists, the Blues have yet to clinch a spot in the tournament next season.

The two sides have met twice already this season, once in the league and once in the FA Cup semifinals. Man City dominated Frank Lampard’s Blues from start to finish in January, capturing three points in a 3-1 victory. The second meeting saw Chelsea defend its territory—even though it was at Wembley—with a rather surprising 1-0 victory to end Guardiola’s hope of a quadruple. Tuchel and Guardiola are widely regarded as two of the most tactically adept managers in the world, so the Champions League final is surely going to produce fireworks. Let’s hope Sunday isn’t too much of a drag either, rather more of a taste of what’s to come.

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What are some of the lessons you learnt in the match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

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