Initial Observation and Head-To-Head
When Manchester City and Inter Milan square off in the 2022–23 Champions League final on Saturday night, they will be looking to repeat the accomplishments of their Merseyside rivals in the same city, which occurred eighteen years after Liverpool’s miracle of Istanbul. Ataturk Olympic Stadium will host the first competitive match between the two continental giants due to their disparate domestic fortunes.
Pep Guardiola won two more English football medals to his collection, while the Nerazzurri’s Serie A championship challenge was at best brief. The Premier League champions defeated Real Madrid 5-1 over the course of two legs in the semi-finals to secure their place in the championship game, while Inter gained local bragging rights by defeating Real Madrid 3-0 overall. Guardiola’s list of domestic triumphs at the Etihad is limitless, and in 2022–23, he will add another Premier League trophy and an FA Cup victory to his impressive resume. However, the desired continental award has been elusive to him ever since he left the luxury of Camp Nou.
Guardiola had never advanced Man City past the quarterfinals of Europe’s top tournament before the 2020–21 season, and as spectators gradually returned to the stadiums after the untold disruption caused by COVID–19, the recurrent Premier League champions had come near, but not quite. Kai Havertz’s lone goal for Chelsea in 2021 helped Man City lose to the might of Real Madrid in the 2021-22 semifinals, leaving the Estadio do Draga with their tails between their legs. Also Read:Top 5 Major Football News: 9th June 2024
Manchester City Team News
Prior to Saturday’s championship game, Man City’s medical staff has mainly been permitted to relax. However, Guardiola recently acknowledged that Kyle Walker has been having back issues, raising a minor concern for the right-back. Walker has subsequently allayed doubts over his fitness, and the England international should be included in the Citizens’ completely healthy contingent. The Citizens’ starting XI will undoubtedly be decided in Istanbul. The only change should therefore be in goal, where Stefan Ortega will unwillingly pass the gloves back over to Ederson.
In the FA Cup final, the same 10 outfield players who started the second-leg dismantling of Real Madrid were in the queue to shake Prince William’s hand. Yet another objective for the unstoppable Erling The 13th goal for Braut Haaland in the 2022–23 Champions League would surpass Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of the most single–season goals for an English team. Despite missing the net against Real Madrid, the Scandinavian sensation has never gone three straight games without a goal in Europe’s premier competition.
Inter Milan Team News
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, a former midfielder for Manchester United, suffered a thigh injury during the second leg of the Nerazzurri’s semi-final victory against AC Milan. Still, the Armenian playmaker is making progress towards being ready for the final. The same may be said about Argentine forward Joaquin Correa, who suffered a calf injury against Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia final. However, if the 28-year-old is permitted to go, he will be assigned to the bench.
Romelu Lukaku, a struggling Chelsea loanee, will attempt to offer energy from the bench before he says farewell for the season. Inzaghi looks to have settled on Martinez and Dzeko as his regular attack duo for crucial matches.
Predicted Lineup and Score
Manchester City’s possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Akanji; Stones, Rodri; Silva, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland
Inter Milan’s possible starting lineup:
Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Martinez, Dzeko
Manchester City: Inter Milan
2:1
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