Chelsea won the Champions League title on Saturday by beating Manchester City 1-0 and boss Thomas Tuchel believes two players were vital in his side’s victory.
Kai Havertz’s first half strike gave the Blues the much deserved victory.
It was a massive night for Chelsea and for Tuchel in particular, who was able to banish the demons of last season where his Paris Saint-Germain side lost to Bayern Munich in the final.
And, speaking after the game, the German picked out defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger for praise.
“City chose a very offensive and very technical line-up. It was very hard to recover the balls,” he told the club’s official website.
“It was very important that we step out with Azpi and Toni constantly out of the back five to support our midfield, and it was important to stay in a block on the front five.
“We were absolutely sure that we needed to play with a strong bond and with a genuine belief, and this is what we did.
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“Minute after minute we could grab some ball possession we could win more and more second balls and initiate some dangerous counter attacks which gave us confidence, and from then on it was a tough match until the end.”
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
