‘Overthinking it again’? Man City boss Guardiola raises eyebrows as Sterling starts UCL final while Chelsea get Kante boost

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has opted for out-of-form Raheem Sterling to start the Champions League final while rivals Chelsea will have both Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante in their line-up after they won fitness battles.

City and Chelsea meet at Estadio do Dragao in Porto in the third ever all-English Champions League final on Saturday night.

The London club are hunting a second title in the competition while their Manchester rivals are chasing a first ever title at this level in what will be their maiden appearance in the European club showpiece.

Fervent debate has erupted before a ball has even been kicked in Portugal after City boss Guardiola raised eyebrows with his team selection – more specifically the inclusion of winger Sterling.

The England man has not enjoyed the best of seasons at the Premier League champions, finding the net just once in the Champions League this campaign and playing a total of just 10 minutes across the quarter-final and semi-final ties with Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. 

Such is Sterling’s slump in form, it has seen the 26-year-old linked with a summer move away from the Etihad.

However, Sterling nonetheless got the nod from Guardiola to start what is arguably the biggest game in City’s history.

Spanish attacking star Ferran Torres begins on the bench, as does midfield veteran Fernandinho and City’s all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero, in what will be the Argentine's last ever game for the club.  

Some fans claimed Sterling’s inclusion was a left-field pick from Guardiola, who was accused of “overthinking” his team selection – something that has landed City in trouble in the competition in recent years.

Others, however, backed Sterling to come good and vindicate Guardiola as the Spaniard chases a third personal Champions League accolade.

While not picking an out-and-out forward such as Aguero or Gabriel Jesus to start, Guardiola's starting team is still packed with players brimming with attacking intent, including Sterling and the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne. 

Ukrainian star Oleksandr Zinchenko – who joined City from Russian Premier League minnows FC Ufa in 2016 – also continued his remarkable story by being selected to start ahead of Joao Cancelo.   

In the opposition dugout, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was handed a boost by the return to fitness of first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and key midfield man Kante this week – both of whom start in Porto.

Up front, big-money summer signing Kai Havertz got the nod ahead of American star Christian Pulisic, as Tuchel opted to place the Blues’ main attacking threat in the hands of Havertz, countryman Timo Werner and England’s Mason Mount.