These players have the skills to illuminate the final

As we enter the last few weeks of the mammoth 20/21 football season, the Champions League trophy is now within two English clubs’ grasp. On the 29th May, the Premier League’s Chelsea and Manchester City will battle it out to be crowned champions of Europe.

Although it will be the blue half of Manchester’s first shot at capturing the most acclaimed European trophy, this will be Chelsea’s third final. The London club managed to win one of their previous finals in 2012 against Bayern Munich in the German club’s own stadium, but lost the other in 2008 against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in a soggy Moscow.

Some pundits fear that the extreme tactical nous of both team’s managers might force the match into a calculated stalemate. And whilst it’s true that City manager Pep Guardiola and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel are both likely to pore over every detail to make sure their team have the competitive edge, there are also going to be way too many talented footballers on the pitch for it to be anything other than a feast of football.

Here then is a quick look at three of the players that have the most potential to light up the Champions League final.

Phil Foden

What an end to the season this youngster from Stockport is having. Phil Foden has dazzled the football world with his marauding runs and twisting turns, with the ball seemingly glued to the end of his fluorescent boots. The player is a product of Manchester City’s own academy that has seen such heavy investment in the last ten years, and if players like Foden are the result then the future looks blindingly bright for the club

The twenty-year-old attacking midfielder has made himself a mainstay in Guiordola’s title winning side that have wrestled back the Premier League from last year’s winners Liverpool. The young star has built on the personal success he found last year breaking into the City team and has kicked on to rack up an impressive seven goals and five assists in twenty-nine appearances.

There is now hype building around the diminutive dribbler with praise extending to him even being touted as a potential ballon d’Or winner. One way that Foden could help justify the fanfare now surrounding him is to put in a man of the match performance in the final and show everyone they’re right to be excited.

Kevin De Bruyne

Is there a more glorious player to watch dictate a game of football than Kevin De Bruyne in 2021? Most people’s answer should be a resounding no and with a player like De Bruyne pulling the strings in the City midfield, it’s no wonder that bookmakers have them as favourites. For those who do want to take a punt on the action, several of the best South African betting sites are offering competitive deals at the moment. The deals for new customers will be the most appealing for many, but the option to partially cash out might come in most handy if tragedy strikes again for the Belgian. His history of niggling injuries this season has seen him being kept on ice by the medical team in anticipation of the massive match. Fingers crossed he manages to strut his stuff on the pitch.

The twenty-nine-year-old has under Guardiola’s tutorage become not only one of Manchester City’s best players of all time, but one of the Premier League’s best players of all time.

Huge praise indeed, but it can be backed up by looking at the trophies De Bruyne has won during his time at City. The club have managed an immense three league titles, one F.A. Cup and a staggering five league cups whilst the mercurial talent has been lining up for them.

These magical players fill stadium seats

Mason Mount

When Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as Chelsea manager in January, many people thought that Mason Mount’s time in the starting line-up would come screeching to an end. The 22 year-old England international was quick to show that he wasn’t just a favourite of Lampard’s but that he should be a favourite of any manager.

With a great awareness of space on the football field and a fantastic ability to read the game a few steps ahead of most players, Mount has driven this Chelsea side to go further in Europe than most expected. When The Blues were drawn against the true juggernauts of European football Real Madrid, their fans must’ve feared that it was a bridge too far to knock out the Spanish giants. Yet Mount helped marshal a commanding victory, including netting the final goal as Chelsea beat Madrid to reach the Champions League final. 

It’s clear that if Tuchel’s side are to overcome the final hurdle and get their hands on the trophy that Mount will have to, again, place this Chelsea team on his shoulders and be the beating heart that drives his side on to win.