Manchester City and Inter Milan meet at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday night, the last game of the season and the biggest: the Uefa Champions League final itself.
Pep Guardiola’s side need one more win to complete a treble which has alternately looked inevitable and impressive, with the Premier League and FA Cup already in the bag – though opponents Inter have a cup to their name too this term, having beaten Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia final. They did only finish third in Serie A however, marking them out as significant underdogs in this one-off event.
While City will doubtless face questions over their supremacy and the manner of achieving it if they get the job done at last, tonight from the players’ perspective is only about one thing: winning, and setting right the many mistakes in recent years which have seen them fall short. Follow our live coverage of the Champions League final below:
Champions League final LIVE
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Man City face Inter Milan in the Champions League final with kick-off in Istanbul
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35’ – INJURY! De Bruyne forced off in another Champions League final through injury (MCI 0-0 INT)
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27’ – SAVE! Haaland forces Onana into a close-range save (MCI 0-0 INT)
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6’ – CLOSE! Bernardo curls just wide (MCI 0-0 INT)
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FULL PREVIEW: One last wrong to right for Man City?
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Man City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Stones, Dias, Ake, Rodri, Gundogan (c), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland
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Inter XI: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic (c), Çalhanoglu, Dimarco; Dzeko, Martínez
Manchester City FC 1 – 0 FC Internazionale Milano
70’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:32 , Luke Baker
CROSSBAR! How on earth are Inter not level?!
Dimarco slips behind Akanji and his header loops over a helpless Ederson but drops on to the bar! It comes back out to him but his follow-up header is unwittingly blocked by Lukaku six yards out. It was going in!
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Inter (Rodri 68’)
21:28 , Luke Baker
A HUGE MOMENT! CITY ARE AHEAD!
For the first time, gaps start to appear in the Inter defence. Akanji slips a gorgeous ball through to Bernardo whose cutback from the byline deflects off a defender but falls for Rodri 14 yards out and he hammers it into the corner. Great technique and a massive moment.
67’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:27 , Luke Baker
Great defending by Bastoni! He nicks the ball away from Haaland with the Norweigan in an incredibly dangerous position ont he edge of the box. Sterling work.
66’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:27 , Luke Baker
Here was Guardiola when Martinez nipped in after the Ederson-Akanji mix-up. He had visions of 1-0 Inter flashing through his head…
65’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:25 , Luke Baker
The corner comes to nothing as the referee gives a free-kick against City for Stones pulling down Bastoni. Six of one, half a dozen of the other, as they say – both men were all over each other.
63’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:24 , Luke Baker
A promising counter for City, maybe a bit more pace is the way to go? Rodri has Stones on the overlap on the right, feeds him and his cross is blocked out for a corner. Haaland was lurking at the back post there!
62’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:22 , Luke Baker
Akanji looks a bit nervy suddenly after that near disaster and his jitters almost see him give the ball away again. City are getting a bit tense here and that’s all because Inter are frustrating them.
59’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:21 , Luke Baker
OVER! City then quickly break after that near disaster and Barella brings down Foden about 30 yards from goal. The first yellow card of the evening handed out.
A dangerous position for the free-kick and a short ball is then whipped into the box but Dias’s header is well over.
58’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:19 , Luke Baker
CHANCE! Almost a complete disaster for City!
No communication between Ederson and Akanji as they leave a ball into the channel for each other and Martinez nips in. He’s unmarked in the box but Ederson comes out well and smothers the shot. A let-off. Could Martinez have squared for Lukaku? Possibly, although City players were streaming back
57’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:17 , Luke Baker
The longer this game goes, the happier Inter will be with 0-0 and the nervier City will get.
Edin Dzeko goes down, looks like he might be cramping. Either way, he’s being taken off now and Romelu Lukaku enters the fray. A good sub to bring on and adds a different element to Inter’s attack. We expected to see Lukaku around this point.
He immediately wins a header and Inter have an overlap but Akanji does superbly to cover the space and cut out the attempted cross past him.
55’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:15 , Luke Baker
Great work from Stones on the edge of the Inter box and he then finds Gundogan but the space is closed down and the chance goes by the wayside.
Çalhanoglu then dives in front of Foden and convinces the ref he’s been brought down, so wins the free-kick and Inter can relieve the pressure
53’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:13 , Luke Baker
Gundogan playing like a terrier now. He goes in hard on Martinez but gets enough of the ball that it’s no foul. Darmian then wipes out Grealish on the left but Foden’s free-kick sails harmlessly through.
51’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:12 , Luke Baker
Similar pattern in the early going of this second half – City with the ball, Inter pressing high and with intensity. Should City start playing the long ball into Haaland as a traditional No 9 (as they did against Arsenal) to switch up the attacking impetus? The beauty of the Norwegian is he’s more than capable of fulfilling that role.
Great tackle by Gundogan to dispossess Darmian but he gets knocked to the ground by Çalhanoglu for his troubles. He looks a bit winded but gets up and seems to be fine.
48’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:08 , Luke Baker
Dimarco is down holding his back (and his face, but that’s par for the course in terms of dramatics). There was a minor collision with Bernardo that he’s made a lot of. He’s back up on his feet and hasn’t lost a limb or anything, so he’s all good to continue
46’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
21:07 , Luke Baker
No changes at half-time for either side. Romelu Lukaku feels like Inter’s trump card off the bench. When will they deploy him?
City obviously have the likes of Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez to call upon whenever they deem it necessary.
KICK-OFF! Man City 0-0 Inter
21:05 , Luke Baker
The teams are back out – Inter return to the field first and City follow after a few final words from Pep Guardiola. Can they find the moment of magic to break Inter down?
Should be a fascinating 45 minutes – we’re back underway in Istanbul.
Man City 0-0 Inter
21:03 , Luke Baker
Our Senior Football Correspondent Richard Jolly, is also at the Ataturk Stadium. He too has focused on the De Bruyne injury and how City’s other midfielders have struggled.
Rich says: “An underwhelming first half for Manchester City, though Inter can be reasonably satisfied.
“Apart from the anguish for Kevin de Bruyne of his early exit from a second Champions League final, there is also the practical problem that he, unlike most of his teammates, was playing well. Rodri, in particular, has been sluggish, while Ilkay Gundogan has been quiet.
“The general mood has been subdued. All in all, a less dramatic first half than the last one at this ground involving a team from Milan.”
Man City 0-0 Inter
21:02 , Luke Baker
Our Chief Football Writer, Miguel Delaney, is out in Istanbul for this final and has assessed the first half.
Miguel says: “A first half that was probably as good for Inter as they could have possibly hoped. It goes without saying they have made a game of this, when so many predicted a procession.
“They have also played their part in ensuring this isn’t the Manchester City that was unstoppable for the last three months, although it does feel like some of that comes from within Pep Guardiola’s side too. They haven’t necessarily been that bad but they haven’t been themselves and so many touches and passes have been off, either through casualness or maybe a slight nervousness.
“Kevin De Bruyne seemed to be the only player immune to this, playing well, only for such a great player to suffer the sad misfortune of again having to go off injured in a Champions League final. If this game does come down to nerve and psychology, as has been the case so far, that can naturally have more influence – before you even get to De Bruyne’s brilliance.
“Maybe the most telling moment was Guardiola agitatedly telling his players to ‘relax’. He does need to say something different at half-time, which was a requirement no one would have expected before the game.”
Cesc Fabregas assesses the first half
20:59 , Luke Baker
Cesc Fabregas has given his thoughts on the first half for BT Sport and he’s been impressed (but unsurprised) by the underdogs.
Fabregas said: “It’s a difficult one, I watched Inter a lot, I know they’re not easy to break down. This is a team that knows how to play with and without the ball. When they do, they know how to exploit the spaces.”
Man City 0-0 Inter
20:53 , Luke Baker
Horrible deja vu for Kevin de Bruyne in that first half. Really unfortunate as he has to go off injured again
HALF-TIME! Man City 0-0 Inter
20:49 , Luke Baker
Akanji decides to try his luck from 25 yards. Catches it well enough but it’s always rising and flies comfortably over.
And that’s the half-time whistle. Man City have had 61 per cent possession but Inter have been very disciplined in the press and have restricted their genuine chances. The big news is Kevin de Bruyne going off injured – just as he did in the 2021 Champions League final against Chelsea.
45’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:47 , Luke Baker
Onana slips as he clears the ball and is a bit slow to get up but seems to be fine. Two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
43’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:45 , Luke Baker
Grealish wins a free-kick in a dangerous position on the left as Dumfries drags him to the ground. Clear foul.
Dias and Akanji come forward, Foden whips the cross in but it’s too long and Rodri’s attempeted ball back in cannons off Martinez, rebounds on to him and rolls out for a goal-kick.
42’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:44 , Luke Baker
Here was the moment Kevin de Bruyne was forced off injured. Gutting for the Belgian
41’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:43 , Luke Baker
Acerbi makes an absolute meal of a minor coming together with Phil Foden. The Englishman unimpressed.
Into the final knockings of this first half and clear-cut chances have been few and far between.
38’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:40 , Luke Baker
Inter have a first sustained spell of possession in the City half – they strong a few passes together but City maintain their defensive discipline to avoid any issues.
Then back at the other end, a quick city press causes Onana to shank the ball out of play
35’ – Man City 0-0 Inter – De Bruyne taken off injured
20:37 , Luke Baker
Oh no. De Bruyne signals to the bench and he’s going to have to come off. He looks distraught – a second Champions League final where he’s had to go off early.
Phil Foden comes on. Not a bad replacement at all but you have to feel for De Bruyne. A horrible situation
32’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:34 , Luke Baker
De Bruyne not moving as freely as you’d hope but he’s trying to run it off. City will do everything they can not to sub him off. Foden still ready to come on if needed, fully stripped and ready to go.
29’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:32 , Luke Baker
City stepping it up now. De Bruyne shoots from outside the box but it’s straight at Onana. Shortly after, Grealish cuts in from the left but his shot is too weak to properly trouble the Inter goalkeeper.
But this is bad news, De Bruyne down on his haunches and looks uncomfortable. Not sure what’s wrong with him but it would be a huge blow if he had to go off early in another Champions League final. He’ll play on for now, although Foden ready to come on if necessary
27’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:30 , Luke Baker
SAVE! The biggest chance of the match for either side and it comes from City! Nice play by Rodri, then De Bruyne slips the ball the charging Haaland who is going away from goal on the left but swings his left boot at it.
Onana stays big and makes the save from close range! But it shows what City can do.
26’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:28 , Luke Baker
CHANCE! I tell you what, Ederson looks a bit nervy so far… He plays an errant pass out beyond Stones straight to Barella and he’s well out of his goal.
Barella is about 35 yards out, towards the right of the pitch so although it’s an ‘open goal’ it’s far from easy. His shots is skewed a long way wide but it was on.
25’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:27 , Luke Baker
A couple of early puzzles to solve for Pep. But will Inter be able to keep up this level of intensity and pressing for 90 minutes? It feels doubtful. We’ll see.
Nice link-up between Haaland and De Bruyne but the Belgian slips as he tries to take the ball into the box
22’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:24 , Luke Baker
A promising start by Inter, who have closed down and hassled City well
20’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:22 , Luke Baker
CHANCE! Dimarco is involved again as he nicks the ball away and surges down the left. He finds Brozovic in-field and the Inter captain takes aim at goal but fires a long way over the top. Another warning shot for the favourites though
19’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:20 , Luke Baker
City try to string together a sustained spell of possession and then play that patented long ball up to Haaland. He wins it and sets Grealish into space on the left but Acerbi defends really well and muscles him off the ball.
Inter defend another attack and counter but it peters out.
15’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:17 , Luke Baker
Inter win a corner but the short-corner routine comes to nothing. Dias then defends really well to nick the ball off Martinez on the edge of the box.
This has been a really promising start for the Italian side Simone Inzaghi will be delighted.
13’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:16 , Luke Baker
Cesc Fabregas explains City’s set-up so far very neatly. It’s the tactics they’ve been using recently, with John Stones as a hybrid centre-back/No 8
12’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:14 , Luke Baker
Ederson panics a bit under the press and skews the ball out of play for an attacking throw-in. Dumfries hurls it long into the box but it’s reasonably well dealt with.
Stones then wins a goal-kick, although Calhanoglu wants a foul. Nothing doing.
10’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:12 , Luke Baker
A great atmosphere inside the Ataturk Stadium, which is a sell-out. There were some travel woes for fans in the build-up but most supporters seem to have made it. And thank God, nothing like the scenes we saw at last year’s final in Paris between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Inter have their best move of the match so far as Dimarco gets space on the left and whips in a lovely cross but Dias rises well to head away. Promising for the Italians though.
8’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:10 , Luke Baker
Dumfries playing very high for Inter and pressuring Ake. That will be a fun Dutch-onDutch battle to keep an eye on. City dominating possession as you’d expect.
6’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:08 , Luke Baker
CLOSE! That could so easily have been the opening goal! Great work by Bernardo on the right as he cuts into the box and Dimarco keeps backing off. He lets the City man reach the edge of the six-yard box and he curls for goal but it’s inches wide!
Onana was unmoved and unable to do anything about it. That was not good defending from Dimarco
5’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:06 , Luke Baker
A swinging arm from Gundogan catches Barella in the back of the head but nothing in it – purely accidental.
Inter are pressing quite high in the early going. A bit surprising really, the consensus was that they’d be a little bit more defence in their set-up. City probably won’t mind this
3’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:05 , Luke Baker
First chance for City as De Bruyne plays a nice reverse through-ball to Haaland who gets half a yard of space on the left of the box but lashes his shot over the top
Offside flag was up anyway. Could KdB have played that ball a shade earlier?
2’ – Man City 0-0 Inter
20:03 , Luke Baker
Decent start by Inter but a stumble from Dzeko sees the ball run harmlessly out for a goal-kick. City calmly build from the back with early touches for the Walker-less back line.
Inter press Ederson but largely leave the defence to it
KICK-OFF! Man City 0-0 Inter
20:01 , Luke Baker
And we’re underway in the 2023 Champions League final! Can Man City complete their destiny, the treble?
20:01 , Luke Baker
Handshakes done. We’re about to get underway in Istanbul
Man City vs Inter Milan
19:59 , Luke Baker
Hamit Altintop places the Champions League trophy on the plinth – it’s what the two teams are playing for. Pianist Adam Gyorgy plays the teams on to the field with the Champions League anthem.
Both teams walking out and we’ll soon get the match underway
Man City vs Inter Milan
19:56 , Luke Baker
We’re only about five minutes away from kick-off and the teams are in the tunnel. Jack Grealish looks focused, chewing on a piece of gum but steely-eyed.
Kyle Walker only on the bench for Man City
19:51 , Luke Baker
The BT Sport crew have been discussing how Kyle Walker will feel about being dropped for the final. Pep Guardiola has opted for Ake, Akanji, Dias and Stones as his defensive options
It was probably the main selection decision for Pep ahead of this final
Pep Guardiola gives his pre-match thoughts
19:45 , Luke Baker
Pep Guardiola cutting a relaxed figure in the build-up to the final
WATCH: What tactics can we expect from the sides this evening?
19:41 , Luke Baker
Man City and Inter fans have been Champions League final tactics ahead of the game at an Istanbul festival. Any revelatory insights from the suppporters?
Why is BT Sport being rebranded to TNT Sports? Eurosport merger explained
19:35 , Luke Baker
BT Sport will disappear from television screens in the United Kingdom in July as the channel rebrands to TNT Sports, with Premier League football, Champions League football and Premiership Rugby next season to be shown on the new channel.
BT Sport will still show Manchester City vs Inter Milan in the 2023 Champions League final as one of the final major live events before the rebrand.
The renaming follows the purchase of BT Sport by Warner Bros Discovery, which also owns Eurosport. In time, the two channels will be brought together under the TNT Sports brand, with fans able to watch top football, rugby, tennis and Olympic sport action all under one banner.
For now, though, Eurosport will remain distinct – the channel is the lead rightsholder for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the UK and Ireland.
But what does this mean for subscribers, and what is TNT Sports?
Why is BT Sport being rebranded to TNT Sports?
Erling Haaland interview: ‘I could have scored more with Man City. That’s the truth’
19:31 , Luke Baker
Erling Haaland can bring a certain directness, on and off the pitch. He can scythe a way through defences and, after his most devastating display, cut through the official rhetoric from Manchester City with similar speed. He had just struck five times against RB Leipzig, becoming only the third player to score five goals in a Champions League game, when he came out and said City bought him to win the competition.
It wasn’t the party line, or something Pep Guardiola had ever admitted.
“You say it yourself and it’s true: they won the Premier League without me, they won every trophy without me,” Haaland rationalised. “So I’m here to try to do a thing that the club has never done before and I’ll do my best.” He nevertheless drew a direct link between his own presence and City’s fate in Europe. Haaland burdened himself with expectation. “Of course I feel pressure,” he said. “I would lie if I said I didn’t.”
Thus far, he has dealt with it admirably. Haaland’s awkward start lasted precisely one game, a Community Shield when he had just 16 touches, hit the bar when presented with what almost amounted to an open goal and generated some entertainingly inaccurate predictions about how he would fare.
Erling Haaland interview: ‘I could have scored more with Man City. That’s the truth’
Inter and the impossible task of the Champions League final
19:26 , Luke Baker
When Pep Guardiola and his staff began to properly prepare for this Champions League final, they found something they haven’t really experienced in, well, years.
It has been very difficult to identify patterns or trends in Inter’s play because there don’t appear to be any. During the quarter-final against Benfica, it became clear that the Portuguese side had much more of an idea of play, in that they had an idea at all. Inter’s forward players, by contrast, didn’t seem to be coordinated. There were moments when some would press and some wouldn’t, as if it was completely ad hoc.
A few figures in the game have quipped that it is like something out of the turn of the millennium, or even 1990, and that it certainly shouldn’t be working in 2023. It is most definitely not a product of the pressing-dictated world that Guardiola himself has been so central to creating.
It is not the only way that Inter have defied the norms of the modern game in reaching their sixth Champions League final. They may be one of football’s grandiose names and one of the most successful clubs in the competition’s history, having already lifted the European Cup three times, but they are currently not a “super club” and very far from one of the better eras in their own 115 years of existence. It is actually funny how football works, even as it has changed.
Miguel Delaney gives the lowdown on City’s opponents this evening:
Inter and the impossible task of the Champions League final
Man City’s European final history
19:21 , Luke Baker
Are there good vibes in terms of history for Man City heading into today’s game?
City have only appeared in two previous major European finals, beating Polish side Górnik Zabrze 2-1 in the 1970 Cup Winners’ Cup final, before losing the 2021 Champions League final 1-0 to fellow English side Chelsea.
So, a mixed bag.
England vs Italy in a Champions League final
19:16 , Luke Baker
We all remember what happened when England faced Italy in the Euro 2021 final but what happens when it’s a club match between teams from the country in a Champions League decider?
English and Italian sides have met in four previous European Cup/Champions League finals, with Liverpool always the English team previously.
They won the competition on penalties in 1984 vs Roma and 2005 vs Milan and lost the 1985 and 2007 finals against Juventus and AC Milan respectively.
No history between Man City and Inter
19:11 , Luke Baker
It’s fair to say there’s not much history between Man City and Inter. In fact, there’s none at all.
This is the first-ever meeting between the sides. It’s the first time the first competitive meeting between two sides has been in a Champions League final since Liverpool faced AC Milan in 2005, coincidentally also played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.
The trick that made Erling Haaland the ultimate finisher – in more ways than one
19:04 , Luke Baker
A few months after Manchester City’s last Champions League final, when it became clear there would be no deal for Harry Kane – and, crucially, that no other Premier League club was in for him – one senior executive closed a meeting and the matter with two words.
The club decided there and then they were going all in on the Norwegian. Now, mere hours before their next Champions League final, so much comes down to Haaland. He is certainly the player that Simone Inzaghi has been most obsessed with figuring out how to stop.
The 22-year-old is the finisher: his instinct and technique has brought 52 goals in his debut City season. He also represents the final piece of the puzzle in a brilliant team that now stands on the brink of total domination and the culmination of this entire Abu Dhabi project.
The scale of City’s last three months – where the team have simply brutalised their closest rivals as well as any sense of sporting competition – would have been impossible to imagine for most of football history. There’s been no messing about in this run-in, either in terms of Pep Guardiola’s tactics or – consequently – the games. Everything comes from fitting in Haaland. Guardiola knows the No 9 has to go into the team in a specific way, so figures out the team from that.
Read Miguel Delaney’s full insight into how Haaland came to be Haaland:
The trick that made Erling Haaland the ultimate finisher – in more ways than one
Champions League final team news
18:53 , Luke Baker
So, we now know both line-ups and can focus on the key battles. City’s back four of Akanji, Stones, Dias and Ake will need to deal with the threat posed by Dzeko and Martinez. Lukaku is an option to come off the bench as well of course.
Brozovic and Çalhanoglu will also look to dictate play in the middle for Inter but a three-man axis of Rodri, Gundogan and De Bruyne surely make City stronger in that area.
Man City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Stones, Dias, Ake, Rodri, Gundogan (c), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland
Inter XI: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Çalhanoglu, Dimarco; Dzeko, Martínez
Inter Milan line-up
18:39 , Luke Baker
Inter have also announced their starting XI, with Edin Dezko and Lautaro Martinez leading the line. That means Romelu Lukaku is only given a place on the bench.
Inter XI: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic (c), Çalhanoglu, Dimarco; Dzeko, Martínez
Man City enjoying Champions League final experience
18:36 , Luke Baker
The City fans have been revelling in the occasion in Istanbul today
Manchester City line-up
18:35 , Luke Baker
City have announced their starting XI for tonight. It’s pretty much as expected, with Kyle Walker only deemed fit enough for the bench as Manuel Akanji starts at right-back.
Pep appears to have avoided the temptation to overthink it
Man City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Stones, Dias, Ake, Rodri, Gundogan (c), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland
Champions League final referee: Who is Man City vs Inter official Szymon Marciniak?
18:27 , Luke Baker
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak is in charge of the 2023 Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul.
Marciniak was given the honour of refereeing the World Cup final in December, which passed largely without controversy. He was the first-ever Pole to referee a World Cup final and his assistants that day in Qatar, compatriots Pawel Sokolnicki and Tomasz Listkiewicz, are on hand again tonight to run the line.
However, Marciniak has not been without controversy off the pitch. He managed to keep his role in charge of the final after apologising for appearing at a far-right event in Poland last month, having spoken at an event organised by far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen.
He said in a statement: “I want to express my deepest apologies for my involvement and any distress or harm it may have caused.
“Upon reflection and further investigation, it has become evident that I was gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question. I had no knowledge that it was associated [with] a Polish extreme-right movement. Had I been aware of this fact, I would have categorically declined the invitation.”
Who is the referee in charge of the Champions League final?
The fresh perspective driving Kevin De Bruyne to Champions League glory
18:18 , Luke Baker
For a footballer who has been voted the best player in the Bundesliga in one season and the Premier League in two more, Kevin De Bruyne could be forgiven for feeling a bit undervalued and underappreciated, writes Richard Jolly. Not by his peers, however, but by his family. It transpires he is not even the most popular player in the De Bruyne household.
His seven-year-old son, Mason, had a kickabout on the Etihad Stadium pitch with his favourite footballer as Manchester City celebrated their Premier League title win. It wasn’t his father. He prefers the man with 52 goals, Erling Haaland, to the one with 28 assists, his dad. “It is not a problem,” said De Bruyne. “All three children have long hair. Erling is a superstar. I see that with the kids at [their] school too. They all have hair like that. It’s funny. My children have all become interested in football this year. They attend more games. They are also starting to play football themselves. My eldest in particular is starting to realise a little more what is going on. He wants to come to games more. He came to see Bayern. He begins to experience and enjoy it more. As long as they like it, it’s okay.”
All of which was a characteristically unflustered response. De Bruyne’s first Champions League final ended abruptly when he was clattered by Antonio Rudiger, leaving him with a broken nose and fractured eye socket. Another might have talked of revenge or lucklessness. Not De Bruyne. “I don’t look at what happened two years ago with bad feelings. You go on, you move on,” he said.
It is why he has been City’s down-to-earth superstar.
The fresh perspective driving Kevin De Bruyne to Champions League glory
Why do Man City fans boo the Champions League anthem?
18:09 , Luke Baker
Manchester City do not have a long and distinguished European history, but Pep Guardiola and his team are hoping to write the first major chapter of that on Saturday evening in Turkey.
The Etihad club head to the Ataturk Stadium to play Inter Milan in the Uefa Champions League final, their second-ever appearance in such a game and aiming for their first-ever victory, having lost two years ago to Chelsea.
Come the end of the evening, supporters will be hoping to begin a massive celebration, not just of lifting this trophy but of completing a treble – with the Premier League and FA Cup already in their locker this term.
But before any thoughts of celebrating, the match has to be won and Inter overcome – and before that can happen, it’s likely that City fans will send an altogether different tone and atmosphere into the night, when the Champions League anthem sounds out ahead of kick-off.
Why do Man City fans boo the Champions League anthem?
Manchester City fans sing on streets of Istanbul ahead of Champions League final
18:00 , Luke Baker
Manchester City fans were jubilant on the streets of Istanbul on Friday night ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final against Inter Milan.
Pep Guardiola’s side are favourites for the game that could see them crowned European champions for the first time and complete the treble.
“It’s absolutely a dream, yes. To achieve things you always have to have the correct proportion of obsession and desire,” Guardiola, who won the competition twice managing Barcelona, told reporters ahead of the final.
Fire in a building near the stadium
17:53 , Luke Baker
It looks like a building near the Ataturk Stadium where tonight’s final will be hosted is on fire. Fire engines are streaming towards the building to put it out
The smoke is visible from the stadium, as per our Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney, in Istanbul.
The rise, fall and rise again of Inter Milan’s Andre Onana
17:51 , Luke Baker
From goalkeeper of the year to out for a year. From elite to club exile, from No.1 to drugs ban, from sought-after to released on a free.
And all the way back again.
Andre Onana is bidding to hit the pinnacle of the sport and become a European champion, 855 days on from first being handed a ban for a doping violation. It’s a journey which would make some shrink from the challenge or play havoc with their mindset, yet setbacks – which feels too understated of a word – seem part and parcel of the Cameroonian’s career.
Indeed, it’s less that Onana’s story is one of a rise-fall-rise, and more of a non-stop, chaotic rollercoaster which travels an upward trajectory even as the stomach still feels like it’s heading the opposite direction.
And all of this is even before he gets to attempt stopping Erling Haaland and co.
Read more about the rollercoaster career of Inter’s No 1, courtesy of Karl Matchett:
The rise, fall and rise again of Andre Onana
How John Stones sparked his Man City revival by looking in the mirror
17:42 , Luke Baker
Long before the Barnsley Beckenbauer was reinvented as the Barnsley Busquets, he was the Barnsley benchwarmer. John Stones enters the Champions League final as a revelation, the man whose career has progressed in an unexpected way by moving forward: literally, given that the centre-back doubles up as a midfielder now.
Rewind three years, however, and the most stylish English central defender of his generation had adopted a different, unwanted status: of the substitute, and not even the resident super-sub. When Manchester City exited the Champions League in 2020, he had a watching brief, unused as they were beaten by Lyon. Even that was perhaps not the worst element. Even as Pep Guardiola picked an unusually defensive team against the side who finished seventh in Ligue 1, Stones was not one of his three centre-backs.
Eric Garcia was, though he was a teenage rookie. Fernandinho was, though he was a 35-year-old midfielder. Aymeric Laporte was, though he had spent much of the season injured. The backdrop may have been still more damning for Stones: Vincent Kompany had left the previous summer and, after City failed to buy Harry Maguire, the captain had not been replaced. Stones should have been the main man; instead he was the spare man, starting just 12 league games, only featuring for 16 minutes of City’s final five matches in all competitions, fifth in line, with Nicolas Otamendi probably ahead of him too.
How John Stones sparked his Man City revival by looking in the mirror
Fans party in Istanbul ahead of Champions League final
17:33 , Luke Baker
Istanbul has been abuzz with colour and excitement today as fans of both teams get ready for the Champions League final. It has been a cracking atmosphere.
How to cure ‘City-itis’? Pep Guardiola has new template to end Champions League woe
17:24 , Luke Baker
Pep Guardiola was back in an old haunt and he wanted a picture to mark the occasion, writes Richard Jolly. He roped in an old friend. It was in the Allianz Arena in Munich and he had Manchester City’s CEO Ferran Soriano alongside him. City’s run of nine consecutive victories had actually ended but a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich had clinched a 4-1 aggregate triumph. Even for a man who has achieved as much as Guardiola, it was worth getting a memento.
Guardiola had three seasons with Bayern, reaching the Champions League semi-finals in each. He has spent much of his seven years at City arguing that the aristocracy of European football have an inherent advantage in the Champions League, some kind of institutional memory that clicks in. City’s possible route to glory now is paved with the past: Bayern in the last eight, the 14-time winners Real Madrid in the last four, Inter Milan in the final. Whether Helenio Herrera, Sandro Mazzola and Giacinto Facchetti will prove much of an advantage in Istanbul remains to be seen. Study the last 12 years, after all, and Inter, with a solitary previous quarter-final appearance, are the rank outsiders on Saturday.
But perhaps City have always seen themselves as the outsiders who are desperate to be part of the club: the club of European Cup winners. When Guardiola has said he would rather win the Premier League than the Champions League, or that it is harder to – and he has made both claims over the years – it has scarcely rung true. There are many City supporters who would rather get the better of Manchester United than clubs from Milan, Munich or Madrid, but for manager and hierarchy alike, it has felt like the holy grail.
How to cure ‘City-itis’? Pep Guardiola has new template to end Champions League woe
Man City owner to attend first match in 13 years at Champions League final
17:15 , Luke Baker
Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour will attend the Champions League final on Saturday evening.
Club sources have confirmed to the PA news agency that the sheikh will be present in Istanbul as City face Inter Milan bidding to win Europe’s top club prize for the first time.
It will only be the second game he has attended since his investment vehicle, the Abu Dhabi United Group, purchased City in 2008.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was also due to be at the showpiece match at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
City have risen to become the dominant force in the English game under Mansour’s stewardship with the club having won seven Premier League titles in the past 12 years and five of the last six.
Reporting by PA
Watch: Guardiola on ‘dream and obsession’ of winning Champions League
17:02 , Luke Baker
Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne have admitted that it is Manchester City‘s “dream and obsession” to win the Champions League.
Guardiola’s side are favourites for the game against Inter that could see them crowned European champions for the first time and complete the treble.
“It’s absolutely a dream, yes. To achieve things you always have to have the correct proportion of obsession and desire,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of the final.
One last wrong to right? Man City stand on the brink of complicated history
16:48 , Luke Baker
In Manchester City training sessions, the staff can already sense the same mood that was so striking before the games against Arsenal and Real Madrid, writes Miguel Delaney. There is that “right kind of conviction”, that is so specific to the circumstances of the fixture. For the 4-1 over Arsenal, it was the aim of reclaiming the title they felt was theirs. For the 4-0 over Madrid, it was revenge for what happened at the Bernabeu last season.
Now, it is the memory of 2021, and finally putting right what has always gone so wrong in the Champions League. That focused intensity can be seen in the players, above all Kevin De Bruyne. The feeling is that City will come out at thFce Ataturk Stadium with full fury, and not give Internazionale even a chance to settle, let alone get on the ball.
If that is the case, it could well be worse than either Arsenal or Madrid. The 68th Champions League final could even be one that surpasses the four-goal victories of 1960, 1989, 1994 and the 1974 replay. It’s hard not to think City could render it a procession by the first half-hour, just as they have done so often in the last three months.
What Simone Inzaghi is banking on, though, is if that doesn’t happen. If it gets to even 25 minutes and Inter have dug deep to not let City in, there is the chance that doubt could creep back in; that it could feel like it’s going to be another of those nights; that there is something about this competition that is now fated for Pep Guardiola.
Read Miguel’s full preview here:
One last wrong to right? Man City stand on the brink of complicated history
Inter Milan predicted line-up
16:35 , Luke Baker
Milan Skriniar is back in training for Inter Milan after an injury, though it’s doubtful he’ll earn a place in the starting back three, with Simone Inzaghi’s plans already set.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Joaquin Correa are both hoping to be passed fit for the final too, with the latter probably having the least chance after an injury in the Coppa Italia final.
Predicted line-up
Inter Milan XI: Onana, Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dumfries, Calhanoglu, Brozovic, Barella, Dimarco, Martinez, Dzeko
Man City predicted line-up
16:23 , Luke Baker
Kyle Walker has been hampered in preparations for the final by a muscle injury, but he has vowed to be back fit and pending any late setbacks, he should be included in the squad. There are no other injury issues for Pep Guardiola to worry about.
Predicted line-up
Manchester City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Stones, Rodri, Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish, Haaland
Man City vs Inter Milan live stream: How to watch Champions League final for free
16:09 , Luke Baker
The biggest club title in European football is on the line and either Manchester City or Inter Milan will be celebrating the greatest night in their recent history come tonight.
Pep Guardiola and Simone Inzaghi go head-to-head in the dugout, with key battles across the pitch seeing Nicolo Barella and Kevin de Bruyne vying for midfield supremacy and goalkeeper Andre Onana attempting to keep out free-scoring Erling Haaland.
Inter’s last Champions League triumph came in 2010 under the management of Jose Mourinho; City have never won the competition but came runners-up two years ago.
Both teams won their respective domestic cup competitions this term, the FA Cup and Coppa Italia, but while City also won the Premier League, Inter were only third in Serie A.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match including how to watch for free.
How to watch Man City vs Inter Milan in Champions League final for free
Erling Haaland interview: ‘I could have scored more with Man City. That’s the truth’
14:51 , Karl Matchett
Erling Haaland can bring a certain directness, on and off the pitch. He can scythe a way through defences and, after his most devastating display, cut through the official rhetoric from Manchester City with similar speed. He had just struck five times against RB Leipzig, becoming only the third player to score five goals in a Champions League game, when he came out and said City bought him to win the competition.
It wasn’t the party line, or something Pep Guardiola had ever admitted.
“You say it yourself and it’s true: they won the Premier League without me, they won every trophy without me,” Haaland rationalised. “So I’m here to try to do a thing that the club has never done before and I’ll do my best.” He nevertheless drew a direct link between his own presence and City’s fate in Europe.
More here from the striker:
Erling Haaland interview: ‘I could have scored more with Man City. That’s the truth’