UEFA Champions League

After some controversy during the first attempt at making the UEFA Champions League last-16 draw, the fixtures are now set.

Real Madrid vs. Paris Saint-Germain highlights the games, which will feature two-legged ties for spots in the quarterfinals. The knockout phase will begin February 15.

Here is the full set of matches:

• Manchester City vs. Sporting CP

• Liverpool vs. Internazionale

• Ajax vs. Benfica

• Real Madrid vs. Paris Saint-Germain

• Bayern Munich vs. FC Salzburg

• Manchester United vs. Atletico Madrid

• Lille vs. Chelsea

• Juventus vs. Villarreal

---

There was plenty of confusion Monday, with the initial draw voided because of irregularities:

As a result of this, the draw has been declared void and will be entirely redone at 15:00 CET.

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 13, 2021

The mistake came when Manchester United was incorrectly used in and then excluded from the draw:

Controversy in the #UCLdraw!

▪️ Man United were wrongly included in the second draw to face Villarreal (their group opponents).

▪️ In the next draw, Man United were incorrectly excluded in the teams to face Atlético (who got Bayern)

▪️ United eventually drew PSG.#UCL pic.twitter.com/cicEXK6I8T

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) December 13, 2021

In this round, clubs are not eligible to compete against opponents from their own league or teams they faced during the group stage. 

Manchester United finished first in Group F, while Villarreal earned second place. Though UEFA correctly redrew when Manchester United came up as an opponent, the team wasn't added to the pot for the next draw.

That saw Atletico Madrid end up with a tough matchup against Bayern Munich, while United was drawn against Paris Saint-Germain to set up a battle between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Coincidentally, the second draw set up a tie between Manchester United and Atletico Madrid. Though this should be an exciting battle, both clubs are arguably better off with this matchup. It also pits Ronaldo against an opponent he faced many times in La Liga.

Salzburg is the unlucky team that will match up with Bayern, which is a favorite in the competition after winning all six group-stage matches while outscoring opponents 22-3.

Liverpool and Ajax will also try to stay undefeated in Champions League with respective battles against Inter and Benfica.

Holder Chelsea will face Lille, which is the same opponent drawn against the first time around. Manchester City is another top contender after surviving a tough Group A. Last year's finalist will start its knockout-stage run against Sporting CP.

In arguably the biggest match of the round, Real Madrid will face PSG in a contest between two semifinalists from last season.

Barcelona legend Messi gets another battle against his longtime rival, this time alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar as part of one of the top attacks in the world. It will be a difficult tie for Real, which is cruising at the top of La Liga.

Bayern Munich closed out its group stage of the UEFA Champions League with a 3-0 home victory over Barcelona on Wednesday at Allianz Arena.

Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala all scored to help the German club coast to three points.

Bayern had already sealed first place in Group E by winning its first five matches. Barcelona, on the other hand, owned a slim two-point edge over Benfica, so anything other than a win opened the door for the Portuguese club to catapult itself into second place.

With Benfica's 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv, Barca failed to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time since 2003-04.

Neither Bayern nor Barcelona got on the scoresheet by the time Roman Yaremchuk and Gilberto gave Benfica a 2-0 lead.

Benfica 2-0 Dynamo Kyiv

Barça fans: pic.twitter.com/dVO9DkfidK

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 8, 2021

Things didn't get much better for Barca in the 31st minute as Jordi Alba was forced to exit through injury. Shortly thereafter, Muller put Bayern ahead.

Robert Lewandowski kept Gerard Pique at a distance and floated the ball toward the back post. Muller didn't make great contact, but his header crossed the goal line before right back Ronald Araujo could make the clearance.

THOMAS MULLER LOVES SCORING AGAINST BARCELONA 😏 pic.twitter.com/pV08jK2ptX

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 8, 2021

It wasn't a goal against the run of play since Barcelona were chasing Bayern for much of the first 30 minutes. Bayern going ahead felt an inevitability.

Barca are a shambles. A half-paced Bayern getting through with every attack.

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) December 8, 2021

Sane doubled Bayern Munich's lead in the 43rd minute in a moment that encapsulated how Wednesday simply wasn't Barcelona's night. Sane's shot had a combination of power and movement that made it somewhat difficult to track, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen's effort to make the save was surprisingly poor.

LEROY SANE. WOW. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/NKda1nV8dW

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 8, 2021

A comeback looked unlikely when Barcelona trailed by just two goals. Musiala put the final nail in the coffin in the 62nd minute when he scored from close range.

This outcome was entirely foreseeable for Barcelona. The club has been a mess behind the scenes for years, and it no longer has Lionel Messi to paper over the cracks of an aging, flawed squad on the field. Sixteen points separate La Liga leader Real Madrid from Barca, in seventh place.

Perhaps Xavi, who was appointed manager a month ago, will be the next Pep Guardiola over time and usher in a new era of dominance domestically and abroad. However, the 41-year-old remains unproven at this level, and there's only so much he can do to address the long-standing problems that have lingered at the Camp Nou.

On the other side, Bayern demonstrated why it's one of the strongest contenders in the Champions League field.

This was a comprehensive performance from the nine-time reigning Bundesliga champions. They limited their opponents to two shots on target and completed 71 more passes.

Most impressively, Bayern didn't seem to be operating at its full capacity yet maintained control for almost all 90 minutes.

---

What's Next?

Bayern awaits the results of Monday's round-of-16 draw. The German giant will be a seeded team by virtue of winning the group. By finishing third, Barcelona will fall into the Europa League.

Manchester City qualified for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League by defeating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Kylian Mbappe gave PSG the lead early in the second half, only for Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus to give the home side the victory. With 12 points, City is now assured of winning Group A with one round-robin match remaining.

Manchester City come back to beat PSG and finish atop the group 🍾 pic.twitter.com/GWRoT4QWWg

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 24, 2021

Despite the result, PSG is through to the round of 16 as well thanks to RB Leipzig's 5-0 defeat of Club Brugge that clinched second place for the French club.

Paris Saint-Germain is already 11 points clear of Nice atop the Ligue 1 table, but this season hasn't been totally smooth sailing.

For a club where European success is the top priority, draws with Leipzig and Brugge aren't good enough. And now PSG has to operate with a cloud of uncertainty about the future of manager Mauricio Pochettino, whom ESPN's Mark Ogden reported is the top candidate to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.

Monday nevertheless presented Paris Saint-Germain to make a clear statement and quiet some of its skeptics. Instead, the visitors were fortunate to be level by halftime.

Man City had 11 total shots in the first half to three for PSG. The reigning Premier League champions nearly went ahead in the fifth minute as Presnel Kimpembe cleared Rodri's header off the line.

KIMPEMBE OFF THE LINE ❌ pic.twitter.com/0hidULMjXD

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 24, 2021

In the 18th minute, Achraf Hakimi got his head on a close-range effort by Riyad Mahrez to hold City at bay.

But the beauty of having a front three of Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi is that it only takes one moment to completely turn a match on its head. That's what Paris Saint-Germain found in the 50th minute when the France forward was left unmarked in the 18-yard box.

KYLIAN MBAPPE 💥 pic.twitter.com/Xr5HWUSkba

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 24, 2021

Whether it was intentional from Pochettino or not, playing slightly defensively can work as a strategy when you have that prolific of an attacking trio.

'Man City dominated the whole of the first-half. But that is the danger...the combination of the three.' 🗣

Kylian Mbappe gives Paris Saint-Germain the lead after Lionel Messi and Neymar combine 🔥

🔷 #MCFC 0-1 #PSG 🔴🔵 #bbcfootball #MCIPSG #UCL

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) November 24, 2021

A game almost identical to the one in Paris.

Seems to suit this necessary compromise of a PSG system to play better teams: sit and then let three genius do something.

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) November 24, 2021

But PSG was unable to press its advantage further before Sterling leveled the score in the 63rd minute. Rodri floated the ball out to Kyle Walker, whose low cross eventually found Sterling on the far post for a tap-in.

RODRI TO WALKER TO JESUS TO STERLING. 👌

It took City 32 shots across two games to score against PSG 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PI34l1F5Pb

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 24, 2021

City's second was almost an inverse of its first as Bernardo Silva collected a cross from Mahrez and laid the ball off to Jesus for a straightforward finish in the 76th minute.

THE CROSS FROM MAHREZ. THE TOUCH FROM BERNARDO. THE FINISH FROM JESUS.

Man City complete the comeback. 💥 pic.twitter.com/ghdd8GaCBl

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 24, 2021

How to score Manchester City style:

Step 1: Crossfield pass to the back post.
Step 2: Pull back to the edge of the 6-yard box.
Step 3: Tap-in goal.

CRTL C + CTRL V. pic.twitter.com/xy75gGEiMm

— William Hill (@WilliamHill) November 24, 2021

Paris Saint-Germain is moving on to the knockout stage, so Wednesday wasn't a total disaster. That will come as little solace, though, in light of a defeat in which PSG was clearly second-best on the night.

This is the kind of performance that provides ammunition to those who argue the club continues to be less than the sum of its parts, an issue that predated Pochettino's tenure.

---

What's Next?

City closes the group stage on Dec. 7 with an away fixture at Leipzig. Paris Saint-Germain face off with Brugge at the Parc des Princes.

Cristiano Ronaldo is making a habit of this. 

The Manchester United star scored a Fergie Time goal in the 95th minute during Wednesday's Champions League action, securing a 2-1 victory over Villarreal. 

CRISTIANO RONALDO. IN THE 95TH MINUTE. FTW. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/rYqW2gzcqo

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 29, 2021

CRISTIANO RONALDO. STOPPAGE TIME WINNER. IT HAD TO BE HIM 💥 pic.twitter.com/zFMOd8F5qO

— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 29, 2021

That was Ronaldo’s 12th career UCL goal in the 90th minute or later, double any other player in the competition's history.

The next most is Messi with 6 😨 pic.twitter.com/74sN9SBccA

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 29, 2021

In five games between the Premier League and UCL this season, Ronaldo has registered five goals, proving to already be a valuable addition in his second tenure with the Red Devils. 

Cristiano Ronaldo is single-handedly making sure Manchester United's season isn't over before Christmas, whilst also keeping OGS in a job.

— Graeme Bailey (@GraemeBailey) September 29, 2021

Certainly, his flair for the dramatic late in games hasn't wavered. The return of Ronaldo has been a huge boon for Manchester United. 

Paris Saint-Germain was looking for revenge against Manchester City on Tuesday at Le Parc de Princes after the Premier League superpower knocked it out of the Champions League semifinals last season.

Lionel Messi helped provide it.

The legendary forward scored his first goal since joining the Parisiens, notching yet another pristine one in a career full of them, and PSG beat City 2-0 in Group A play.

LEO MESSI SCORES HIS FIRST GOAL FOR PSG 💥 pic.twitter.com/loIXhBzESC

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 28, 2021

a goal so sublime you can feel your soul banging on ya ribcage screaming to be let out #Messi #PSGMANCITY

— Ray Hudson (@RayHudson) September 28, 2021

That’s why he’s the best of this generation of footballers. The kind of genius he has made routine #messi

— Oliver Holt (@OllieHolt22) September 28, 2021

Lionel Messi opens his PSG account, inevitably in style. Brilliant finish, even a keeper as good as Ederson had no chance. 2-0 PSG. #MCFC had been playing well, especially Walker, but no answer to quality like that. #PSGMCI

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) September 28, 2021

That's probably the first time all night that Messi and Mbappe have linked up properly. But that's all it needs sometimes. What a goal by Messi..

— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) September 28, 2021

Idrissa Gueye's first-half goal was ultimately the winner, but Messi opening his account was the obvious storyline from Tuesday's win.

PSG STRIKE FIRST AGAINST CITY 🚀

THE FINISH BY IDRISSA GUEYE 😳 pic.twitter.com/ceot3NB0hG

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 28, 2021

Perhaps Gianluigi Donnarumma deserves some love, too. On a night when City held 53 percent of possession and put seven goals on target, PSG's goalkeeper was stout.

And City have played well tonight. PSG owe Donnarumma for their lead as much as Messi

— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) September 28, 2021

But again, Tuesday will be remembered for Messi's magic. That he scored his first goal for PSG in a rematch against the club that knocked it out of Europe last season and that was rumored to be a potential destination for him (and lacks a true No. 9 on the roster, to boot) cannot be understated.

PSG couldn't have written a better script. Manchester City would have preferred a much different one.

Messi scores: in other news City lack a REAL No 9...

— jamie jackson (@JamieJackson___) September 28, 2021

It comes at an important time for the Parisiens, who shockingly failed to win Ligue 1 last season and are facing the prospect of losing Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer after the season, with Real Madrid reportedly lurking.

Despite the disappointments of last season, PSG has taken all 24 points from its eight Ligue 1 games to start the season and currently sits atop Group A in the Champions League with four points.

There have been questions about manager Mauricio Pochettino in Paris as well, and more than a few eyebrows raised when he suggested to reporters that the loaded PSG were still a "team under construction" this week.

"Winning the Champions League would be a dream for us," he said. "The club is 50 years old and has always been looking to establish itself as the best in Europe. This is a process that takes time, patience and investment. In terms of that process, Man City are further ahead than PSG but we know that in a football match anything can happen."

On Tuesday, Messi happened. It was a scenario PSG will be hoping to see replicated, repeatedly, on the way to finally securing a UCL title.

Sheriff Tiraspol secured one of the biggest upsets in world football history Tuesday with a 2-1 road win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Sebastien Thill scored the game-winner in the 89th minute with an incredible strike from outside the box:

SHERIFFFFFFFF! WHAT A GOAL TO UPSET REAL! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pxQVlbfVCl

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 28, 2021

It helped the Moldovan club pull off the shocking defeat over Real Madrid, the winningest club in European football history with 13 continental titles.

It represented a massive upset within the sport:

- Founded in 1997
- Total market value of $13.61M
- First ever season playing in the #UCL

Sheriff Tiraspol have pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UCL history 😱 pic.twitter.com/CZYD7szAPD

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 28, 2021

https://twitter.com/br_betting/status/1442955777757560835

Not only is Sheriff making its Champions League debut this season, but the club is the first from the Moldovan National Division to even reach the group stage. Sheriff, which is third in the domestic table, entered the competition in the first round of qualifying and advanced through four rounds to get on this stage.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, are much more familiar with the competition with several players on the roster having won three straight titles from 2016-18. The club has advanced to at least the knockout stage every year since 1997.

The team also entered in solid form, leading La Liga through seven matches.

It didn't matter when the two sides stepped onto the pitch, with Sheriff taking the lead through Jasrubek Yakhshiboev.

NEWCOMERS SHERIFF TAKE THE LEAD OVER 13-TIME UCL CHAMPS REAL MADRID 🤯 pic.twitter.com/DvruLvXfaS

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 28, 2021

Karim Benzema scored the equalizer for Real on a penalty in the 65th minute, but the underdogs bounced back and came away with the victory.

After also beating Shakhtar Donetsk in the first match, Sheriff are now in first place in Group D and in excellent shape to advance to the round of 16. Real Madrid are in second place with three points.  

Young Boys opened the group stage of the Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Manchester United thanks to American striker Jordan Siebatcheu Pefok.

United was moments away from holding onto a 1-1 draw after having played the majority of the match with 10 men. Pefok capitalized on a critical error by Jesse Lingard in injury time and beat David de Gea one-on-one for the winner.

USMNT's Jordan Pefok scores the winner for Young Boys to defeat Manchester United 2-1 in the Champions League.

WHAT A MOMENT 🔥 @brfootball

(via @CBSSportsGolazo)pic.twitter.com/zag90B75ZT

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 14, 2021

According to ESPN Stats & Info, it was the 11th and latest (94:22) Champions League goal scored by an American international.

Pefok, who was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in France, has made eight appearances and scored one goal for the United States men's national team. The 25-year-old was among the players selected by coach Gregg Berhalter for the USMNT's last round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

In those three matches, the United States scored five goals, four of which came against Honduras. Two draws and one victory were an underwhelming return and raised some concerns.

With the national team returning to action in October, Pefok almost certainly caught the attention of Berhalter on Tuesday.

The 32 clubs taking part in the 2021-22 Champions League know their path to the knockout stage after Thursday's draw.

Reigning champion Chelsea was placed in Group H alongside Juventus, Zenit and Malmo.

Group A also seems like one of the toughest groups at first glance, featuring Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, RB Leipzig and Club Brugge.

Here is the full draw for all eight groups:

The Champions League group stage is set! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/J4YyxzG3rl

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 26, 2021

The group stage matches are scheduled to begin on Sept. 14. 

• Matchday 1: Sept. 14-15
• Matchday 2: Sept. 28-29
• Matchday 3: Oct. 19-20
• Matchday 4: Nov. 2-3
• Matchday 5: Nov. 23-24
• Matchday 6: Dec. 7-8

The draw for the round of 16 will be held Dec. 13, with the knockout stage beginning in February.

All eyes might be on Group A with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City both considered top contenders to win it all.

PSG added Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnarumma to a team that might have been a top contender even without any transfers. With Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and others leading the attack, this will not be an easy team to contain.

Manchester City defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals last year and got even better with the addition of Jack Grealish.

There could be even more drama with the Premier League squad reportedly close to acquiring Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus, according to Rodrigo Faez and Gabriele Marcotti of ESPN.

It could mean another two battles between all-time greats Messi and Ronaldo.

Man City v PSG in the #UCL group stage. It was meant to be!

Could be even spicier if a certain transfer happens.

— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) August 26, 2021

With RB Leipzig and Club Brugge also in the group, there won't be any easy battles for these top clubs.

The remaining English squads have some tough competition as well, as Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all look to advance to the knockout stage. 

Liverpool is in an especially intriguing group alongside former European champions AC Milan and Porto, as well as reigning La Liga winner Atletico Madrid. 

Real Madrid is already the winningest club in this competition with 13 titles and will try to go through Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk in Group D—the three teams also battled in the group stage a year ago. Sheriff Tiraspol, the first-ever club from Moldova to reach the group stage, will round out the group.

With Barcelona and Bayern Munich also facing off in Group E, there is no shortage of quality matchups ahead for the 2021-22 UCL season. 

For the second time in club history, Chelsea are UEFA Champions League champions thanks to Saturday's 1-0 victory over rival Manchester City.

Barely five months since taking over The Blues, head coach Thomas Tuchel finds himself hoisting the European Champion Clubs' Cup—an incredible feat after PSG fired him on Christmas Eve.  

Now, the successor to Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge has reached the pinnacle of the sport in Europe with the help of an historic performance from N'Golo Kanté while Kai Havertz scored the lone goal.

Kai Havertz’s first Champions League goal of his career is the opener in the #UCLFinal

(🎥: @ChampionsLeague)pic.twitter.com/FPBnfph5Fp

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 29, 2021

- Premier League 🏆
- FA Cup 🏆
- World Cup 🏆
- Europa League 🏆
- Champions League 🏆

N’Golo Kante 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/KljKVfYSC6

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 29, 2021

N'Golo Kanté's #UCLFinal game by numbers for Chelsea:

85% passing accuracy
53 touches
11 duels won (most)
10 ball recoveries (most)
4 aerials won (!)
3 tackles
2 touches in the opp. box
2 clearances
2 interceptions
2 fouls won

One of the great UCL Final performances. 👏 pic.twitter.com/dukI1LEL5d

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 29, 2021

"I could have never imagined as a young coach that I could touch this cup!" 🏆

An emotional night for Thomas Tuchel who had his family in Porto as he won the Champions League, and the importance of some lucky shoes! 👟#beINUCL #UCLFinal

Watch Now - https://t.co/RRmQgctETJ pic.twitter.com/GRGkep1rlQ

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) May 29, 2021

3 - Thomas Tuchel is just the second manager to record three consecutive wins in all competitions against Pep Guardiola (excl. Barcelona B), after fellow German Jürgen Klopp did so in 2018 with Liverpool. Masterminds. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/s8T4xVuGnv

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 29, 2021

"It was a tight game and for our first final it was a good, good final," MCFC head coach Pep Guardiola told reporters. "We showed courage. First half was bad, second half was much better. But it is a bad day. We struggled with the long balls, the second balls. It was an exceptional season for us. We tried but we did not do it."

1 - Pep Guardiola has lost his first cup final as Manchester City manager, with this loss only the second major cup final defeat of his managerial career (after the Copa del Rey in 2010-11). Unfamiliar. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/QFmbyoCtRi

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 29, 2021

Mood. pic.twitter.com/B6mV8bDHsA

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 29, 2021

The match was especially noteworthy for Chelsea reserve Christian Pulisic, who became the first American to appear in a Champions League Final. The midfielder nearly scored Chelsea's second goal of the day shortly after taking the pitch.

CHRISTIAN PULISIC WITH A CHANCE TO DOUBLE CHELSEA'S LEAD 😱 pic.twitter.com/9RbDepUqXS

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

“I couldn’t imagine winning the Champions League ever in my life, and now I’m here. It’s just crazy.”

@cpulisic_10 reacts to becoming the first male American to play in and win the Champions League. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/rdwzjklarM

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

The moment Christian Pulisic became the first male American to play in and win a European Cup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XD7ahuTkiP

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

"I never thought I’d get so far,"  Chelsea's Antonio Rüdiger told the Sky Sports broadcast. "We were willing to suffer for this win. I was on the ground, but I showed you should never underestimate people who lie on the ground, and thanks to Thomas Tuchel and the staff I pulled through."

Mason Mount: "At this moment in time we are the best team in the world. You can’t take that away from us." #CFC #UCLfinal

— Paul Brown (@pbsportswriter) May 29, 2021

THE MOMENT CHELSEA BECAME CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE 🎉 pic.twitter.com/GPHFB1KDjq

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

The party is only just getting started for Chelsea on Saturday night with plenty of celebrations to continue once the club returns home from Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal. 

Chelsea forward Kai Havertz picked a great time to score his first-ever UEFA Champions League goal.

The 21-year-old's 42nd-minute goal was all the Blues needed to beat Manchester City 1-0 to win their second-ever Champions League final.

Kai Havertz’s first Champions League goal of his career is the opener in the #UCLFinal

(🎥: @ChampionsLeague)pic.twitter.com/FPBnfph5Fp

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 29, 2021

Chelsea otherwise had the upper hand over Manchester City en route to a decisive win. Here's a look at the two biggest winners and the biggest loser on the night.

    

Winner: Kai Havertz

Havertz is naturally the evening's biggest winner thanks to a brilliant run and move past Manchester City goaltender Ederson to put the ball into an empty net.

The German hadn't scored in his first 19 Champions League matches for Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea, but that drought didn't matter much after he scored the decisive goal in the final:

✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️⚽️

In his 20th game in the competition, Kai Havertz scores his first Champions League goal.

Absolutely worth the wait. #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/Uj5cKOYEDL

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 29, 2021

He's also the youngest German player to score in a men's Champions League final in 24 years.

Kai Havertz is the youngest German player to score in a UEFA Champions League Final since Borussia Dortmund's Lars Ricken in 1997.

Chelsea leads 1-0. pic.twitter.com/94QGmE5PsD

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 29, 2021

The Tactical Times praised Havertz's general performance too:

Kai Havertz vs. Man City

75% Pass accuracy
1/2 Accurate long passes
2 Big chances created
1/1 Shot on target
1 Goal
14/22 Duels won

A complete performance, the goal is what they'll remember.

What a moment. Kai just took a shortcut into the halls of Chelsea folklore. pic.twitter.com/6mzGH8mnDa

— The Tactical Times (@Tactical_Times) May 29, 2021

Havertz has faced criticism while struggling to make an impact in his first season in west London after arriving in the summer for a club-record £72 million fee, but he came through when his team needed him the most.

               

Winner: Thomas Tuchel

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel deserves much credit for putting Havertz in the starting XI, and he got it from numerous analysts, including Liam Twomey of The Athletic.

Until that Havertz goal, it felt like we were waiting to find out which would decide this game: a counter-attack or a counter-counter-attack. Advantage Chelsea, and Tuchel #CFC #MCFC #UCLFinal

— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) May 29, 2021

Chelsea has made significant strides in general under Tuchel, who took the job four months ago. Soccer analyst Kristian Jack pointed out a few elements in their goal that pointed to improvements made by the German:

https://twitter.com/KristianJack/status/1398730256052260868

Overall, Tuchel was the master tactician over Guardiola en route to leading Chelsea to its third victory over Manchester City since April 17.

    

Loser: Pep Guardiola

On the other hand, this was not a good night for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, whose decision not to include a defensive midfielder in the starting XI backfired.

Jonathan Smith of Goal.com and Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News pointed out the issue:

https://twitter.com/jonnysmiffy/status/1398753561505419268

Worst possible time for City’s centre halves to play so badly but not been helped by absence of a proper defensive midfielder. Guardiola tries to be too clever for his own good sometimes. He at least has another half to resolve things. Chelsea very impressive. #UCLfinal

— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) May 29, 2021

Guardiola curiously left both defensive midfielders, Rodri and Fernandinho, on the bench in an unprecedented move this season:

At least one of Fernandinho or Rodri started in 59 of Manchester City's 60 games this season before tonight.

In Porto, both were named on the bench... 🤔#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/JYmFhV8iHt

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 29, 2021

Freelance football writer Constantin Eckner pointed out more issues with space:

City cannot really protect the back line without Rodri, as Havertz and Mount have plenty of space. Key in possession should be Bernardo. Chelsea's defenders are pretty aggressive in how they step up. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/Hh0H4OHwlG

— Dr. Constantin Eckner (@cc_eckner) May 29, 2021

The Manchester City back line struggled throughout and almost allowed a second goal courtesy of Christian Pulisic:

CHRISTIAN PULISIC WITH A CHANCE TO DOUBLE CHELSEA'S LEAD 😱 pic.twitter.com/9RbDepUqXS

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

On the other end, Manchester City only had one shot on target, which was a shocking output for a team that was coming off a Premier League title-winning season that had seen them score 83 goals in 38 games.

With all that, Chelsea is the Champions League winner for the first time since 2012, when the Blues beat Bayern Munich.