Pep Guardiola vs Thomas Tuchel stats and tactics compared ahead of Champions League final

Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel are set to lock horns for the third time this season as Manchester City and Chelsea prepare to square off against each other in the Champions League final on Saturday. With both managers having crossed paths for a fair share of time, we look at Guardiola vs Tuchel stats and understand which manager has the tactical advantage over his opponents ahead of the upcoming Champions League final 2021 in Portugal. 

Guardiola vs Tuchel stats

Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel first managed a team against each other in Germany which came during the Catalan's stint as the head coach of Bayern Munich while Tuchel led Mainz. The first head-to-head clash went in the favour of Pep Guardiola as Bayern recorded a massive 4-1 win over Mainz in October 2013. The former FC Barcelona manager was too hot to handle for Tuchel's Mainz who suffered from yet another 0-2 defeat against Bayern Munich in 2014. 

Thomas Tuchel switched clubs and became head coach of FC Bayern's fiercest rivals, Borussia Dortmund, in 2015. However, a change in the club did not change his luck against Bayern Munich as the Bundesliga giants ran riot over the Black and Yellow,  registering a massive 5-1 win at home. 

The German head coach managed to stop Guardiola's horses in his fourth clash as Dortmund managed a stalemate in March 2016 only to lose against Bayern in the DFB Pokal final a few months later. The Bavarians managed to edge past the Dortmund outfit on penalties after being held down to 0-0 in regulation time. 

Despite enjoying an unbeaten run against Thomas Tuchel in Germany, Pep Guardiola failed to replicate his streak over the German as Chelsea recorded a narrow 1-0 win over the Cityzens and knocked out Pep Guardiola's men in the FA Cup semi-finals. The Blues of London managed to get the better of Pep Guardiola's Man City again a month later with Thomas Tuchel's side managing to come back after trailing by a goal and going on to record a 2-1 win over Man City in the Premier League earlier in May. 

Guardiola vs Tuchel tactics

Both the managers have a dynamic style and an interesting approach to the game. Pep Guardiola is known for his tactical flexibility and possession-based football, Thomas Tuchel believes in a solid defence with the German tactician's team looking to hit their opponents on the counter.

While Chelsea are playing their third UCL final, it is Manchester City's maiden appearance at the biggest stage in club football. Pep Guardiola has an astounding success rate in finals and will be hoping to put his experience to good use while aiming to get third-time lucky against Thomas Tuchel in Portugal on Saturday.

Manchester City vs Chelsea h2h record

Chelsea have an impressive record over their Manchester counterparts with the Blues of London winning 70 matches against City in 168 competitive games. While Manchester City could pocket only 58 wins, both teams have played over 40 draws in their head-to-head matches. Both teams have also met in Europe at the European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-finals back in 1970/71 which saw Chelsea edge out a narrow 1-0 win in both legs.