Illustration photo – Champions League semi-final second leg soccer match: Manchester City – Real Madrid, May 17, 2023. Bernardo Silva of Manchester City celebrates scoring the opening goal of the match.
Istanbul – In Saturday's Champions League final, Manchester City and Inter Milan will meet in Istanbul. The clear favorite is the English team, which will aim for its first triumph in the most prestigious club competition. If coach Pep Guardiola's men succeed, at the end of the season they will complete the so-called treble after winning the Premier League and the English Cup. The match at the Atatürk Stadium kicks off at 21:00 CEST.
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Photo gallery: Football Champions League 2022/23
Manchester City will play the Champions League final for only the second time, two years ago they unexpectedly lost to another English team Chelsea 0:1. Inter reached the final of the Champions League for the sixth time, including the previous European Cup. Won three times in 1964, 1965 and 2010, failed in 1967 and 1972.
City's players won the English title for the third time in a row, beating city rivals United 2:1 in Saturday's FA Cup final and aiming for the third trophy of the year. Seven European clubs have won the treble in history (Barcelona and Bayern twice). The last time Inter Milan did it was in 2010, Guardiola did it a year earlier in his first season on the Barcelona bench.
The Spanish coach led the Catalans to the club's most valuable trophy back in 2011, after which he did not win the Champions League with Bayern Munich and not yet with City. “If we want to take the last step as a big club, we have to win the Champions League, we can't avoid it. But the most important thing is that we try again and again. Two years ago we were here, this year we are here again,” Guardiola told UEFA's website .com.
Inter, who defeated Viktoria Plzeň twice in the group in the fall, already managed one final at the end of May. In the fight for the Italian Cup, he defeated Fiorentina after a turnaround 2:1. On Saturday, however, the Nerazzurri will face a much tougher caliber. “Of course, we won't be favorites against Manchester City, but that's why football is so exciting. We'll face one of the strongest teams in the world and a coach we all know well. But we'll try to be ready. We won't change our approach,” said Inter coach Simone Inzaghi.
Stopping Erling Haaland will also be the key to success for the third team of the past Serie A season. The phenomenal Norwegian striker scored 52 competitive goals for City in 52 matches, with 12 hits he is the best scorer in the current season of the Champions League.
“You can be afraid of murderers, not footballers. It would be a mistake to talk about fear. It's not Haaland versus Inter, it's Manchester City versus Inter. We don't feel fear, just the right tension, but mostly joy. I can't wait to be on the pitch, ” said Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni.
“City have won everything except the Champions League without me. That's partly why I came in the summer. There's one last game left to make history. Winning the Champions League final is a big dream and I'll do everything to make it come true,” added the 22-year-old Haaland, who came up empty-handed in both semi-finals against the Real Madrid defender.
Interesting things before the Champions League final Manchester City – Inter Milan:
Kick-off: Saturday 10 June, 21:00, Istanbul (Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Nova Sport 3).
Referee: Marciniak – Sokolnicki, Listkiewicz – Kwiatkowski (video, all Polish).
Balance (in European Cups): -.
Predicted lineups:
Manchester City: Ederson – Walker, Dias, Akanji – Stones, Rodri – Silva, De Bruyne, Gündogan, Grealish – Haaland.
Inter: Onana – Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni – Dumfries, Barella, Mkhitarjan, Calhanoglu, Dimarco – Martínez, Džeko.
Absence: Walker – Correa, Mkhitarjan (all uncertain start).
Top scorers in the competition: Haaland (12) – Džeko (4).
Interesting points:
– the opponents have not yet met in UEFA competitions
– Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 4 cup matches against Italian opponents (including 3 wins)
– Manchester City is aiming for its first triumph in the LM, in the only final so far in 2021, it lost to Chelsea 0:1
– Inter is in the LM final (including the former PMEZ) for the sixth time, having won 3 times in 1964, 1965 and 2010, lost in 1967 and 1972; since Inter's last triumph in 2010, no Italian club has dominated the elite competition
– Manchester City won the only European trophy in history in 1970 – the then Cup Winners' Cup
– this season, 2 Italian teams lost the cup finals, AS Rome lost to Sevilla in the Europa League, Fiorentina was not enough against West Ham in the European Conference League in Prague
– Manchester City did not lose in 12 matches in this year's LM, but drew in 5 consecutive duels away from their stadium
– Inter lost only 2 matches in the group with Bayern Munich in this year's LM (both 0:2), in the autumn they also beat Pilsen twice (2:0 away, 4:0 at home)
– Manchester City dealt with Leipzig, Bayern and defending champions Real Madrid in the knockout stage
– In the spring, Inter gradually went through Porto, Benfica Lisbon and city rivals AC, in the elimination phase they did not concede in 5 out of 6 matches
– Manchester City won the English league and the FA Cup this season and is aiming for the so-called treble
– 7 clubs have achieved the treble in Europe so far (Barcelona and Bayern Munich 2x), the last time Inter succeeded in 2010
– Inter took 3rd place in the Italian league this season and won Italian Cup
– Manchester City have lost only one of their last 27 competitive matches
– Inter have won 11 times and lost once in their last 12 competitive matches
– Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola won the LM twice on the bench of Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, Bob Paisley and Zinédine Zidane dominated the elite competition 3 times (including the former PMEZ), the record among coaches is held by Carlo Ancelotti with 4 triumphs
– Guardiola won the treble as a coach already in 2009 with Barcelona
– Džeko (Inter) previously played for Manchester City
– Haaland (Manchester City) scored 52 competitive goals in 52 matches this season
