In search of Champions League history Manchester City have fallen short several times but on Saturday in Istanbul they will be presented with an ample chance to finally etch their name in the sands of time, but standing on their path are the ultimate underdogs in the form of Inter Milan.
The two continental behemoths clash for the first time in competitive action at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on the back of differing domestic fortunes, as Pep Guardiola added another two English football trophies to his cabinet, while the Nerazzurri’s title charge in Serie A was fleeting at best.
Manchester City will surely never have a better chance of winning the Champions League, and in turn a famous Treble. Twenty three years after Manchester United’s injury time miracle at the Camp Nou made them the first British team to win the treble; City will strive to emulate their Manchester counterparts’ feats in the same city where Liverpool performed their own miracle eighteen years ago.
The Premier League champions obliterated holders Real Madrid 5-1 over two legs in the semi-finals to punch their ticket to the showpiece event, while Inter earned the local bragging rights with a 3-0 aggregate triumph over fellow San Siro tenants AC Milan.
Up until the 2020-21 campaign, Guardiola had never taken Man City beyond the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier competition, and as fans slowly filtered back into the stadiums in the wake of untold COVID-19-related disruption, the perennial Premier League winners have come close, but no cigar.
Leaving the Estadio do Dragao with their tails tucked between their legs in 2021 thanks to Kai Havertz’s solitary strike for Chelsea, Man City fell victim to the Real Madrid juggernaut in the 2021-22 semi-finals, but revenge was a dish best served with a side of four unanswered goals during their reunion at the same stage this time around.
To be crowned champions of Europe, City will have to defeat an Inter side who have hugely improved during the second half of this season. The Nerazzurri have proven their street-smarts under the guidance of Simone Inzaghi and have gained a reputation as one of the continent’s fiercest cup teams.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Incredibly, Saturday’s final will represent the maiden competitive showdown between Man City and Inter in any competition, with the two sides only locking horns in two friendly matches down the years.
A couple of months on from their 2010 Champions League final triumph, Inter put three past Man City without reply in the Pirelli Cup.
One year later, the Citizens avenged that loss with their own 3-0 friendly win in Dublin – during which Dzeko netted against his current club alongside another former Nerazzurri marksman in Mario Balotelli.
ROAD TO THE FINAL – Man City
Manchester City’s run through to Istanbul has been pretty serene truth be told, with Guardiola’s side yet to taste defeat in their 12 outings.
Sevilla were swatted to one side with ease in the group stages, both home and away, while Dortmund and Copenhagen were overcome at the Etihad. 0-0 draws were secured in the reverse fixtures, the latter of which saw plenty of changes made to Guardiola’s usual starting lineup.
RB Leipzig thought they had got their teeth into City after securing a draw in the first leg of their round of 16 clash, only to be pummelled 7-0 three weeks later. Bayern were then outclassed in both legs of their quarter-final tie, before City put on a masterclass to tear defending champions Real Madrid apart in the semis.
STAR MAN — Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland has made a statement in his first season with Manchester City. The Norwegian has scored a total of 52 goals this season for City. He broke the Premier League record for most goals in one season, winning the league golden boot and is set to win the Champions League golden as well having scored 12 times in this competition.
CITY COACH — Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola is no stranger to the treble. He did it with FC Barcelona in the 2008-09 campaign and would be looking to do it with a second club. In the Spaniards’ time with the Sky Blues the club has won 5 league titles, 2 FA Cups, and 4 League Cups.
ROAD TO THE FINAL – Inter Milan
Inter weren’t expected to progress beyond the group stage, so the fact they’re in the final is a pretty remarkable achievement.
Their place in the knockout stages was secured after taking four points off Barcelona in their two meetings, in addition to picking up maximum points against whipping boys Viktoria Plzen.
The draw then really started to open up for Inter after they dispatched Porto 1-0 on aggregate in the round of 16. Benfica, normally so good at home, were blunted on their own patch before a six-goal thriller played out at the San Siro, while neighbourhood rivals AC Milan were unable to lay a glove on Inzaghi’s side in the semis.
Related: Heineken UCL Special: Man City Vs Real Madrid: The Final Before The Final!
STAR MAN — Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez has had a great season with Inter Milan scoring a total of 24 games and assisting nine goals. The Argentinian has scored just three times in the Champions League this season but he will once again be the man to keep an eye on for I Nerazurri.
INTER COACH — Simone Inzaghi
Simone Inzaghi was appointed as Inter head coach back in 2022. He had a great career with Lazio as a player before moving into coaching. The Italian led Lazio to their first ever Champions League group stage participation since 2008 in the 2020-21 season. Inter picked him because he is renowned for using the 3-5-2 formation with which the Black and Whites won Serie A under Conte in 2021.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT?
Manchester City are undoubtedly the favourite and many of their fans will be live at the Heineken planet in Ikoyi to witness their team their first European crown alongside Nigerian football legends like Austin Eguaveon, Finidi George, Victor Aghahowa and many more.
The bookies’ lopsided view of this final may be more based on what City can do rather than what they will do. They were a long way from their best against United, who could easily have snatched a draw in the second half.
Perhaps they will turn it on and, if they do, there’s not a team in Europe who can live with them. However, Inter Milan are in outstanding form themselves, bursting with confidence, well-organised and Inzaghi will have a plan to stop them. They are also brimming with high-level European experience.
Usually with Italian teams, you would expect a park-the-bus, defensive display, but Inter usually see goals at both ends, as has been the case in three out of their last four Serie A matches.
Two years on from their Champions League final debut, Man City are back in the showcase and looking to be crowned champions of Europe for the first time. It’s been a fantastic season for Man City, who will also be hoping this caps off a Treble, becoming just the second English men’s side to achieve that feat after bitter rivals Manchester United in 1999.
Inter, meanwhile, are in the Champions League final for the first time since 2009/10 when, of course, they won the competition for the third time. Victory here would mean that just five teams have won the Champions League more times than Inter, also closing the gap on rivals AC Milan to three Champions Leagues.
PREDICTION
You could muster a really good argument that Inter are the perfect team to try and stop City in their tracks.
Inzaghi has built a big-game tournament-conquering machine in Milan, with the Nerazzurri capturing the Coppa Italia in recent weeks.
But ultimately, this iteration of City is both the most ruthless and technically secure in the Guardiola era. They don’t make daft errors, they don’t open themselves up in transition, and they have a freak of nature putting the ball in the net.
Guardiola infamously tinkered too much when City lost to Chelsea in the final two years ago, so there is always that danger, but you would think any selection should overpower Inter this weekend. This should be the year Manchester City finally conquer Europe.
SCORES: Man City 3-1 Inter Milan
