MANCHESTER CITY are in pursuit of an historic treble – and it could all come to fruition against Inter Milan in the Champions League final TONIGHT.
City have been imperious so far in Europe’s elite competition, having knocked out Bayern Munich and Real Madrid en route to the final.
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And they will be overwhelming favourites for the Champions League final after their 4-0 hammering of the reigning European champions.
But City have never won this competition before, and in past years have been known to inexplicably throw away golden opportunities of doing so.
Two years ago, they were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in the final and last year they lost in the semis to Real Madrid after conceding two stoppage time goals.
And Inter will feel well placed to take advantage of any jitters City may have.
Simone Inzaghi’s men defied all odds to qualify from a Champions League group containing Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
And they were at their most impressive as they comfortably beat rivals AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate.
Like City, they lifted their domestic cup trophy this season. However, they only managed a third placed finish in the league.
A solid defence within a 3-5-2 system has been their platform for success under Inzaghi.
And they won’t be expecting to see too much of the ball against a Guardiola team known for dominating possession above all else.
Even if Inter can cut off the service to Erling Haaland, City still have many weapons with which to hurt their opponents – as they showed against Real Madrid in the semi.
In that tie, Haaland didn’t score over the two legs, but Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva led the demolition job.
The Italians will look to in-demand midfielder Nicolo Barella to disrupt City.
And they will also have free kick specialist Hakan Calhanoglu primed if Guardiola’s side are guilty of stopping counter-attacks with too many tactical fouls.
What is their form like?
Man City last five games
Man City 2 Man Utd 1 – FA Cup final
Brentford 1 Man City 0
Brighton 1 Man City 1
Man City 1 Chelsea 0
Man City 4 Real Madrid 0 (agg 5-1) – Champions League semi-final second leg
Inter Milan last five games
Torino 0 Inter Milan 1
Inter Milan 3 Atalanta 2
Fiorentina 1 Inter Milan 2 – Coppa Italia final
Napoli 3 Inter Milan 1
Inter Milan 1 AC Milan 0 (agg 3-0) – Champions League semi-final second leg
What is the team news?
Man City have no injury worries ahead of this game.
Ederson will be almost certain to replace Stefan Ortega after the Brazilian’s understudy was chosen between the sticks for the FA Cup final.
Elsewhere, Guardiola may well name the same ten outfield players the dominated their Wembley win over rivals United.
Left-back Dalbert is a long-term absentee for Inter with a cruciate ligament injury.
Former Man Utd ace Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a doubt for the match, as is Joaquin Correa.
Should Mikhitaryan not play, Inzaghi will have both Marcelo Brozovic and Roberto Gagliardini as options in midfield.
Who will be the star men?
Man City
You could name any of the players in the Man City team as potential stars.
The likes of Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Kevin de Bruyne are all capable of winning a game in a split second.
However, it is difficult to look beyond Erling Haaland after a stunning season which saw him smash Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal record.
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Inter Milan
Former Man City hero Edin Dzeko will look to show his old club what they’re missing as he lines up for Inter at the age of 37.
And he will be capably partnered by Argentina World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez, who is constantly jostling for a position in his national team with Man City fringe man Julian Alvarez.
With Dzeko not expected to last the full match, City are also set to have to contend with former Man Utd striker Romelu Lukaku.
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What they said
Man City manager Pep Guardiola: “More than the fact for the treble is the fact to win the Champions League.
“We won already the FA Cup, we won the Premier League.
“Everybody knows it.
“We have done incredible seasons – five Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, Carabao Cups – but we have to win the Champions League to be recognised like the team deserves to be recognised.
“We have to admit it, without the Champions League – it has been amazing, it has been fun – but we are missing (something). We have to do it.
“We give more and more credit for what we have done these years, we have done many things.
“But I said to the players ‘you have to put the pressure on yourself, to be recognised as something good you have to win Europe.’”
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi: “I know we’ll meet the strongest team in the world at the moment. We face the best.
“We’re talking about a football match and with all due respect, I’m not afraid of anything.
“Guardiola is the best coach in the world and he has marked an era. We have respect, but we are proud to play in this final that we wanted with all our strength.
“It will be the last of 57 matches in which even the much-talked-about defeats have allowed us to get to where we will be on Saturday.”
Asked if the game would be the biggest of his illustrious career, he added: “Yes it is, for me and for my players.
“[Andre] Onana and [Edin] Dzeko have played in the semi-finals, but nobody has ever made it to the final.
“It pays us back for all the efforts made throughout the year.”
Predicted line-ups
Man City: Ederson; Walker, Ruben Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland.
Inter: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Dzeko.
When is Man City vs Inter Milan?
- The Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan will take place on Saturday, June 10.
- City thrashed Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate to reach the final, while Inter beat rivals AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate.
- The match will kick off at 8pm BST.
- This will be the 68th season of the competition and the 31st since it was renamed from the European Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
What channel is it on and can it be live streamed?
- Man City vs Inter Milan will be shown on BT Sport 1 HD in the UK.
- The game will also be shown for FREE on BT Sport’s YouTube channel.
- You can live stream the action from the BT Sport or YouTube app, both of which are available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.
Where is the 2023 Champions League final being held?
Istanbul will host the 2023 Champions League final.
The huge fixture will be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium and it boasts a seated capacity of approximately 75,000 supporters.
One of the most iconic Champions League finals was played at this stadium which saw Liverpool pull off a sensational comeback against AC Milan before beating them on penalties.
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Ataturk Olympic Stadium opened in 2002 and was built to support Turkey’s bid to stage the 2008 Olympic Games but it lost out to Beijing National Stadium in China.
However, the Turkey national team uses Ataturk Olympic Stadium as their home venue.
What do the 2023 Champions League winners get?
Winners of the final will be granted a guaranteed place in the 2023/2024 Champions League competition.
A chance to win the Club World Cup against other teams across the globe.
And they will take on the winners of the Europa League for a chance to secure the UEFA Super Cup just before the new season gets underway.
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Who has won the Champions League the most?
- Real Madrid – 14
- AC Milan – 7
- Liverpool – 6
- Bayern Munich – 6
- Barcelona – 5
- Ajax – 4
- Manchester United and Inter Milan – 3
- Benfica, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Porto – 2
SunSport prediction
Man City 3 Inter Milan 1
