Man City vs Chelsea UEFA Champions League final: Start time and how to watch in Australia

Man City can finally secure the prize they want most when they take on Chelsea in the Champions League final.

English Premier League giants Manchester City and Chelsea are set for battle in the 66th European Cup final. It is the eighth time two teams from the same country meet in the decider and the third all-England affair.

Four of the seven one-nation finals were won by the team that finished higher domestically, which is a slight statistical advantage Man City carry into the game after being crowned champions of England for 2020/21.

This is the first UEFA Champions League final in City's history and the third for Chelsea. The Blues experienced the heartbreak of defeat when they lost the 2008 final on penalties to Manchester United and the exaltation of triumph after beating Bayern Munich in 2012.

2021 UEFA Champions League final Australian kick-off time

The match starts at 5am AEST on Sunday 30 May.

How to watch Manchester City vs Chelsea UEFA Champions League final

The UEFA Champions League is exclusively broadcast in Australia by Optus Sport. If you're an Optus mobile or NBN customer you're in luck as you're eligible for free Optus Sport. If not then you'll need to pay $14.99 for a months access as there's no free trial for Optus Sport

Optus also has the rights to the upcoming European Championships, the English Premier League and the UEFA Europa League. For a more detailed breakdown see our UEFA Champions League viewing guide.

Is the Champions League final on SBS?

No, the UEFA Champions League is now exclusive to Optus Sport in Australia.

Where is this year's Champions League final being played?

The final is being held at Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal, home to FC Porto. Portuguese authorities will allow fans to attend with around 16,500 tickets available, with both Manchester City and Chelsea allocated 6,000 tickets each.

The match was to take place at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium until UEFA announced the switch to Portugal due to COVID-19 travel restrictions between England and Turkey.

Who will referee the Champions League final?

Spaniard Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz, 44, will referee the game. Mateu Lahoz will have VAR, the controversial technology used to help referees with decisions, at his disposal. VAR has been in use throughout the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League campaign.

The dugout: Pep Guardiola vs Thomas Tuchel

Manchester City manager Josep "Pep" Guardiola already has two Champions League winners medals to his name from his time with Barcelona. The 50-year-old has also won 10 major trophies since taking charge of City in the summer of 2016, including a third Premier League title this month.

Thomas Tuchel has transformed Chelsea since taking charge of the team in January. The 44-year-old led Paris Saint-Germain to last year's final, which they lost to Bayern Munich. They also suffered defeat to Leicester City in this year's FA Cup decider.

Who win will Man City vs Chelsea UEFA Champions League final?

Manchester City have been dominant in all competitions throughout this season and enter the final as deserved favourites.

Having lost none of their attacking flair, City markedly strengthened their defence with the addition of 24-year-old Portuguese defender Ruben Dias last September. In attack, 20-year-old Phil Foden has been a revelation in his first season as a first-team regular.

City are undefeated this Champions League, conceding just four goals in 12 games, entering the final with a record of 11 wins and 1 draw. The draw came in the very stadium hosting the decider (Chelsea have won 1 of their 4 games at the venue).

City have lost just 7 of their 60 games this campaign, claiming both the Premier League and League Cup along the way. Worryingly, 2 of the losses came against Tuchel's Chelsea. The Blues ended City's FA Cup hopes in the semi-final with a 1-0 win in April before winning 2-1 in the Premier League at City earlier this month.

Chelsea, too, have conceded just four goals in this Champions League season. They've lost just five times under their new manager, who told reporters this week he is very confident his team will win the final.

They enter the final having lost three of their last four games and some concern around the fitness of key playmaker N'Golo Kanté and goalkeeper Édouard Mendy.

City have been the best team in Europe this season and enter the game in the best form. We think this is the year the world's most expensive squad finally claims football's greatest club trophy.

Image source: Kayo Sports website