June 9, 2023, 10:35 PM
June 9, 2023, 10:35 PM
He Manchester Cityfounded in 1880, can achieve the long-awaited Champions League title on Saturday who has been chasing for a long time. And what is missing from his record. To do this, they must defeat Inter Milan in Istanbul (15:00 HB), that already has three Champions in your history (1964, 1965 and 2010) and look for the fourth.
That anxiety to win the trophy has become more insistent since the English club it became the property of its wealthy Emirati ownerswho have spared no effort in investments to achieve that continental title that the club is missing.
Since an Abu Dhabi investment fund took over the club in 2008, the Manchester City has become the absolute dominator of English football, with seven league titles and three cup titles, but without that longed-for European title.
The dominance has become greater by City since he came to the bench the Spanish coach Pep Guardiola, who has achieved five Premier titles in seven seasons, being close to winning the Champions League the last two campaigns (finalist in 2021 and semifinalist in 2022).
City’s figures this season make it an undisputed favourite. If he wins that Champions League that he lacks and that he vehemently pursues, will complete the long-awaited triplet, after having won the Premier League and the FA Cup this season. Only United have achieved that feat so far in England, when they won the treble in 1999.
In addition, this year it has a real beast in the areato, the Norwegian Erling Haaland, who has scored 52 goals this season, twelve of them in the Champions League.
City does not want the favorite sign
“There’s a job to do. We’ve had an incredible season, but we have to end it in the best possible way.” explained the Norwegian ahead of the Champions League final.
Guardiola, who won a Champions League as a player and two as a coach, the three with Barcelona, They know that winning the Champions League is an obligatory step for the other clubs to take them seriously, to consider them a big team.
The sensations are good. He has won both England titlesas well as eliminating Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the quarterfinals and semifinals, beating the Germans 3-0 at home and the Spanish 4-0 at the Emirates.
Inter, for its part, He could only be third in Serie A, although he redeemed himself by winning the Italian Cup, defeating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final. But their Champions League tour this season is more modest, eliminating Benfica, Porto and Milan.
But Pep Guardiola mistrust that role of favorite. “We know that a final is how you play in 95 minutes. History doesn’t matter. By history, they are better than us,” with their three Champions League titles, says Guardiola.
Inter looks for the surprise
“It’s the most important match of my life. It is an award for all the effort of a very long and hard year”, affirmed the Inter coach, Simone Inzaghi.
With players like Haalandwho has a world champion as a substitute Argentine like Julián Alvarez, the Belgian Kevin de Bruyne, the Spanish Rodri Hernández and the German Ilkay Gundogan, the City has more stars than an Inter that has the Argentine Lautaro Martínez or the Belgian Romelu Lukaku.
If the stats don’t lie, City are also favourites.
Of the twelve games played in the Champions League this season, City won seven and drew five, while Inter won the same number but equalized three and lost two, with 31 goals for and 5 against, compared to 19-10 for the Italian team.
Inter will look for a surprise to achieve their fourth titlewhich brings him closer to the seven of his great rival (AC Milan).
