Manchester City offered their first Champions League against Inter Milan this Saturday, June 10 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Spaniard Rodri delivered his own in the second half while City was most of the time very feverish (1-0).
A City favourite. A Pep Guardiola, crowned in 2009 and 2011 with FC Barcelona but held in check since his arrival in 2016 in England, who has dreamed of winning the C1 for twelve years and the immense hope of Nerazzurri supporters to bring the trophy back to Milan, thirteen years after the last. The evening in Istanbul promises to be magical with Manchester City obsessed with a first title, and the resurgent Inter Milan.
Erling Haaland mute
Two years after the first final, lost against Chelsea, the Citizens advance as grand favorites in the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, west of the Turkish metropolis, where they hope to sweep away the Italian ghost, crowned in 1964, 1965 and 2010.
After having shattered Real Madrid in the semi-finals, Manchester City did not have the intensity necessary to cast doubt on the Italian club at the start of the match. The high defense practiced by Inter Milan undermines City and Erling Haaland, rarely found at the forefront of the attack. It was not until the 27th minute that Cameroon’s André Onana repelled a strike from the Norwegian international, who signed City’s first dangerous action since kick-off. Finally, the only one of the first period.
Against all expectations, Manchester City is very far from mastering its subject. To make matters worse, Kevin De Bruyne gave up after just 35 minutes through injury. Returning from the locker room, City did not offer anything convincing, with a borrowed team, far from its usual performance in the Premier League. The Citizens, who are trying to become the fourth English team to win the Champions League, after Manchester United (1999, 2008), Liverpool (2005, 2019) and Chelsea (2012, 2021), are more than feverish.
Pep Guardiola is one unit behind Carlo Ancelotti
Sometimes luck smiles on you in the most unlikely of times. Rodri signs his second goal in C1 this season with a roll from the right, after a center back from Bernado Silva, to allow Pep Guardiola’s men to get back in place (68th). Right after, Dimarco has the equalizing ball. His lobed recovery from the head hits the crossbar (71st).
With three Champions League to his credit, Pep Guardiola is only one unit behind Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful technician (4), and reaches the level of Zinedine Zidane and the Englishman Bob Paisley, also crowned in C1 three times. Bought in 2008 by Sheikh Mansour, a member of the Emirati royal family, City won the premier competition in Europe for the first time. The Citizens take over from Real Madrid, and achieve the treble after their success in the league and the FA Cup.