07:11 PM
Traffic
07:08 PM
Rio Ferdinand
says that City will look to out number Inter in midfield. Joleon Lescott says Grealish and Silva will push up very high to force the Inter wing backs back.
Rio: “Inter play the same way Brentford do, and Brentford have beaten City twice this season.”
07:04 PM
Jason Burt writes
“Pep Guardiola asked the Manchester City fans not to boo the Champion League theme… it has just been played and was met with a chorus of boos.”
07:04 PM
Pep Guardiola on BT Sport
“The most important game in our history. We talk about football, football and football. I hope the last final makes them more experienced.
“Kyle Walker is so important, it was really tough to leave him out. For the way we want to defend we need a different kind of player.” (Pep says this change wasn’t made due to a back injury of KW)
06:55 PM
Sam Wallace on the City pre-match attire (spoiler alert: he’s not a fan…)
Manchester City players and staff are in the building. All the players are wearing team-issue distressed jeans and white polo shorts for their big day, presumably at the behest of their official clothing supplier Dsquared. Doesn’t work for me. Looks like a corporate team-bonding away-day, or a very abstemious stag do.
06:53 PM
Jason Burt on Kyle Walker not making the XI
Huge blow for Kyle Walker to miss out on a starting place in the Champions League Final. He is on the bench after being an injury doubt with Manuel Akanji – probably – at right-back and Nathan Ake at left-back. Otherwise Manchester City as expected… and no tinkering from Pep Guardiola (as promised)!
06:51 PM
Stevie G back by the Bosphorus
I am no mind reader but I rather fancy that Steven Gerrard has happy memories of being in Istanbul — the scene of his greatest night as a Liverpool legend. Would the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ have happened had he not been at the very top of his game? I reckon not…
06:45 PM
Those teams in old-fashioned black and white
MAN CITY XI TO FACE INTER MILAN: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Akanji, Stones, Rodri, Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish, Haaland.
Pep Guardiola has made two changes from the FA Cup final. One we expected the other one we did not. The expected one is Ederson coming in for Stefan Ortega. The one that’s come as a big of a shock is Kyle Walker dropping to the bench with Nathan Ake taking his place.
INTER MILAN XI TO FACE MAN CITY: Onana, Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco, Martinez, Dzeko.
As expected Edin Dzeko gets the nod over Romelu Lukaku up front. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (thigh) and Joaquin Correa (calf) are on the bench after recovering from injury.
06:40 PM
Here are both the XIs
06:38 PM
How can Inter shock City?
Here’s the last of Mike McGrath’s five things the Italians need to do if they are to get in the way of City’s Treble bid.
Man-mark unsung danger man Rodri
There is a danger of opponents focusing too much on Haaland. With 52 goals this season, he is clearly their biggest goal threat, yet it is Rodri who makes the team tick from the base of midfield. Last season in the Premier League alone he completed 2,977 passes, shifting the ball quickly and showing his range of distribution. Plenty of City’s moves go through the Spaniard, who dictates the pace of the game and allows De Bruyne to create further forward.
Sitting on Rodri will cut off the supply to City’s most dangerous attacking players and would leave Inter’s defenders to go one-on-one with Haaland, De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva as they attack from different angles. Focusing on Rodri would make it a midfield battle that would suit Inter’s way of playing.
06:33 PM
Here’s the Man City XI
06:32 PM
Not sure how he got an invite…
06:28 PM
From Sam Wallace in Istanbul
The Manchester City bus is approaching the stadium as per the helicopter shot on the monitor. City end is still a long way from being full of fans. Internazionale end is full already and noisy.
06:22 PM
How Inter can shock City, parts 4 & 5…
More from Mike McGrath on what the Italians need to do to get their hands on the club’s fourth European Cup.
Play dirty
City will be expecting a battle at Ataturk Olympic Stadium. Inter fought their way to victory in the semi-finals against their great rivals AC Milan. There was footage of Francesco Acerbi looking around before planting his studs on the foot of Sandro Tonali. He got away with the stamp, even with Var, and the Italians will be employing all of the dark arts to get the better of Guardiola’s team.
There is recent history of tactical fouling in this showpiece. In Kyiv in 2018, Sergio Ramos targeted Liverpool’s greatest threat — and it resulted in Mohamed Salah being carried off in tears as he could do nothing to prevent Real Madrid winning that evening. De Bruyne suffered fractures and concussion after a collision with Antonio Rüdiger when City lost to Chelsea.
Set-pieces
Inter should have a height advantage over City when the corners and free-kicks get swung into the penalty area, with Acerbi, Lukaku and Dzeko among those with aerial ability to meet Hakan Calhanoglu’s delivery. City have only conceded five goals in the Champions League all season and four of those were from set-pieces.
Jude Bellingham headed in for Borussia Dortmund when a corner was not cleared, while Sevilla’s Rafa Mir scored with a towering header also from a corner. RB Leipzig took a short corner which led to Josko Gvardiol climbing the highest to head home. The other set-piece goal they conceded was against Bayern Munich when Joshua Kimmich scored a penalty. It may be clutching at straws to suggest City have a weakness, but four of their five goals conceded in Europe have been from set-pieces.
06:17 PM
Jason Burt on those Istanbul traffic woes
Definitely a growing sense of nervousness inside the Ataturk Stadium that fans are struggling to get here. Stories starting to filter through of supporters stuck in horrendous traffic jams and having to abandon vehicles to walk here. They were urged to get to the stadium early with two fan zones close by and interestingly the Inter fans are already inside in far greater numbers. Uefa will be monitoring the situation carefully but it again highlights how questionable it is to hold a final in such an inaccessible venue.
06:11 PM
From James Ducker at the Ataturk Stadium
A fire has broken out and is blowing plumes of thick black smoke towards the Ataturk Stadium, which hosts tonight’s final.
06:07 PM
There’s a feeling that there’s not a lot of love for City
For all their obvious brilliance, for all the fact they are great to watch there is undoubtedly an ambivalence bordering on outright disdain for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Here Oliver Brown asks why…
“City are on the cusp of an accomplishment only seen once in the history of English football, so rare that Sir Alex Ferguson likened it to flying to the Moon. Acclaim for the Treble should transcend the traditional boundaries of club loyalty. It did for Ferguson, who received a knighthood only a fortnight later. It did for David Beckham, who became a national icon as a consequence, and for homegrown talents including Paul Scholes and Gary Neville. Somehow, the moment felt more authentically “made in England” than the coronation awaiting Guardiola’s all-stars.”
READ: Manchester City are closing in on sporting immortality – so why is everyone so indifferent?
05:59 PM
City fans playing catch up – Jason Burt in Istanbul
More than two hours to kick-off at the Ataturk Stadium and the Inter Milan end is already more than half full with the supporters in fine voice. By contrast the area behind the goal where the Manchester City fans will be seated is virtually empty.
05:55 PM
How can Inter beat City?
Here’s the second of five things Mike McGrath says the Italians have to do to shock Pep and Co tonight.
Use Dumfries as an outlet
While Pep Guardiola had Kyle Walker on the bench at times this season and does not trust him to play as an “inverted full-back” moving inside, the England full-back still has the pace to get the better of any winger in Europe. Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior could not get past Walker when he ran at him one-on-one in the semi-final. For pace and positioning, Walker is at the top of his game and Inter would get more joy from the other flank.
Denzel Dumfries times his runs well on Inter’s right flank and has the pace to get behind City’s backline. The Holland international is a better route to Ederson’s goal, given that City have not been playing with an out-and-out left-back. Manuel Akanji has done excellently in that position but will be tested if Dumfries can get a run at him. Nathan Ake is the other option as a traditional centre-back who has played left-back.
05:50 PM
A reminder of how the the first (and, to date, only) English Treble was won
05:42 PM
How can Inter beat City?
It’s a question many are asking ashed of today’s match and here’s Mike McGrath with the first of five things the Italians need to do to produce a shock.
Play two strikers close together
City will know all about Edin Dzeko as one of their players from the “Aguerooooo” title-winning triumph of 2012. He has been preferred to Romelu Lukaku for Inter’s big Champions League matches this season and has positional intelligence to disrupt Pep Guardiola’s defensive system. His physical presence needs Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez making runs around him and having them close together on the pitch will be a source of attack.
Brentford did the double over City in the Premier League and won their two matches playing with two strikers: Bryan Mbeumo was partnered by Ivan Toney at the Etihad, then Yoane Wissa on the final day of the season.
While most teams play with a lone striker, playing a pair gives City more defensive questions. It is a brave move but also suits Inter’s 3-5-2 formation.
City could be more inclined to stay in their 4-3-3 formation rather than shift into the 3-2-4-1 system where John Stones moves forward into midfield and has been skilled at taking the ball on the turn and starting moves from his position in front of a back three.
05:38 PM
More from James Ducker in Istanbul
The Ataturk Stadium may hold happy memories for Jamie Carragher, a winner here with Liverpool in 2005 after the “Miracle of Istanbul” and back at the ground tonight, but it’s an odd choice of venue for a Champions League final in 2023. The infrastructure remains virtually unchanged from 18 years ago and getting to and from the ground is not a pleasurable experience for anyone. There’s one road in, one road out, which is why it’s no surprise it’s a total bottleneck around the stadium and traffic is at a standstill. I left at 4pm local time — to get here in good time for a 10pm kick-off — knowing it would be carnage on the roads and arrived shortly after 5pm. Fans leaving it late to get from the heart of Istanbul to the stadium face a long wait.
05:31 PM
James Ducker in Istanbul
The great, good – and eccentric – of City’s recent past are all at the Ataturk Stadium tonight hoping to see the club finally lay hands on the Champions League.
Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure and colourful Mario Balotelli — members of the first Premier League title winning team back in 2011/12 — plus former captain Fernandinho have made the trip to Istanbul.
Balotelli, best remembered for revealing the T-shirt “Why Always Me?” after scoring twice in City’s 6-1 rout of Manchester United in 2011, 24 hours after setting off fireworks in his bathroom, is probably the only one who will have split loyalties. The former Italy striker joined City from Inter in 2010.
Aguero hopes he sees fellow Argentine Lautaro Martinez, who won the World Cup with the country in December, scores — but ends up on the losing side.
05:26 PM
Spot the famous City fan
Clue: he’s a former boxer…
05:22 PM
Oliver Brown in Istanbul
Any City or Inter fans still sweltering in the sunshine at Taksim Square would be well-advised to start their journeys to the Ataturk Stadium early. Istanbul traffic is diabolical at the best of times, but on the day of a Champions League final it is positively dystopian. There are warnings of three- to four-hour delays on the roads if supporters leave their departures from the city centre too late. It has the potential to be a major headache for Uefa, who are desperate to avoid a repeat of last year’s shambolically organised final in Paris, which began 37 minutes late due to French police kettling Liverpool fans outside the Stade de France gates.
05:10 PM
Fancy a flutter?
Having a bet on the match? Find the best Champions League Final free bets here.
05:05 PM
Champagne-sliding kitmen to Olympic gold medallists – the backroom staff driving City to glory
By Mike McGrath
Manchester City players totalled 23 when they boarded the plane for Istanbul for the final leg of their Treble attempt. But plenty more than that number comprise the team behind Pep Guardiola’s success over the past seven years. When the key personnel huddled for a team photo after the FA Cup triumph last weekend (see pic above), the backroom staff looked big enough to fill a centre circle.
Some of the unsung members of the City team have been so important to their success. The staff keeping players fit, led by head physio James Baldwin, managed to avoid serious injuries and just tended to the usual bumps and strains of a campaign.
Sports scientists, analysts and therapists add to the level of detail Guardiola demands from his squad. There are chefs cooking food at the Etihad Campus that compare to the finest restaurants in Manchester and player liaison officers to work with the players. Staff from the operations team arrange everything needed for a club to travel around Europe and compete for three major trophies.
But it is Guardiola’s inner circle of trusted co-workers that has been the heart of his success since arriving in English football in 2016. Many of his original backroom team are still with him. They include Manel Estiarte, who is seen with Guardiola at every press conference that he undergoes, often sitting near journalists. An Olympic gold medallist at water polo, “a lifelong trusted friend and confidante” is how City described him when he arrived. He was appointed head of player support and protocol seven years ago but is Guardiola’s right-hand man.
Rodolfo Borrell, 52, is Guardiola’s assistant and was Lionel Messi’s first coach at Barcelona. The Spaniard held a senior position at Liverpool’s Academy so has known plenty of City’s first team for years from playing against them, or with them in Raheem Sterling’s case when he was at City.
Xabier Mancisidor, the goalkeeper coach, has been at City from the start of the Guardiola era, as has performance analyst Carles Planchart, who has worked with Guardiola’s players, often on a one-on-one basis, since 2007 at Barca and Bayern Munich. Fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura is still Team Guardiola after 15 years together, another trusted member of the backroom staff.
The ones no longer at City have looked to be No1s in their own right. Mikel Arteta was the most high-profile case, the apprentice learning from the master and then going his own way in 2019 and putting what he learnt to use at Arsenal, which saw him challenge his old boss for the title this season.
Domènec Torrent was particularly highly regarded at the City Football Group, the club’s owners, while he was a coach under Guardiola. He went on to coach at sister club New York City and his latest job was a brief stint at Galatasaray. At one stage he was regarded as a potential future coach of the City first team.
That raises the question of who on earth could follow such a manager whenever Guardiola decides he wants to leave? Finding the right person from within the structure makes sense, given how intricate the system of success is. Players often need a year to adapt to Guardiola’s methods, the exception being Erling Haaland. The people with the best knowledge of winning are the people Guardiola has worked with.
This season in the Premier League, Erik ten Hag worked with Guardiola when they were together at Bayern Munich. Patrick Vieira never worked with the former Barcelona coach but was within the CFG umbrella when he went to New York City after heading up the City Academy.
Those who have worked closely with Guardiola and his team have been given first-hand experience of his way of winning. One member of the team who predates any of the players is the kitman Brandon Ashton, who started at the club in 2009 as a 16-year-old. He knew Les Chapman, kitman at the time, and after one pre-season stayed at the club and has been there ever since.
Ashton is the character sliding across the dressing room when the champagne is flowing. He is on the chairs swinging a shirt around his head when the songs are going. “Brandon is the heart and soul of the dressing room, he has the ability to take pressure off,” said Vincent Kompany in the Amazon documentary All Or Nothing. Kevin De Bruyne gets on with him as he is not a typical football person. But he is one of the constants during the Guardiola era, with an intimate knowledge of how success is created.
04:58 PM
City fans expectant and in fine voice
04:52 PM
Some people like to get there early…
As well as a feast of football (hopefully…) expect a festival of flags this evening.
04:29 PM
History or another final slip up for Manchester City?
So it’s the culmination of yet another exceptional season for Manchester City, but, one that, if they win this evening, will be considered the greatest season of the club’s trophy-laden, petrodollar-funded era.
The Treble is at stake for Pep Guardiola’s side and very few — bar the most optimistic Inter Milan fan and, perhaps, the most-blinkered Manchester United supporter — predict anything other than glory for Erling Haaland and Co. Should the Italians create a shock on the Bosphorus then it would be another Miracle of Istanbul to rival the Liverpool win over AC Milan back in 2005.
All season, especially, as it entered the business end, the mantra at the Etihad has been that they’re ‘taking it one game at a time’. Well, there’s only one match left and what is at stake has never been in such clear view.
That’s something not lost on Haaland.
“If you’d said this scenario before the season I wouldn’t think of it,” the record-breaking striker said. “But, again, when you look at the team, how close they’ve been with every single trophy every single season it’s not like it’s been not possible.
“We have been believing in ourselves ever since I came here. Just one game left, I don’t know what more to say.”
If there are United, and Inter, fans reading this then here’s a morsel of hope. Two years ago City similarly went into the final as big favourites, albeit against a well-known foe, and came a cropper, losing 1-0 to Chelsea, a team they finished 19 points ahead of that season in the league. They also looked on course to reach last year’s final, but conceded two goals in stoppage time against Real Madrid before going out through extra time.
This year, City’s route to Istanbul has been serene, despite being drawn against Bayern Munich and Madrid in the knockout rounds. But in a one-off, knockout match anything can happen and Guardiola will doubtless, in his inimitable intense way, have reminded his players of that fact.
To find out if history is made or whether ‘Champions of Europe’ is a title that alludes the cash-rich club once again, please stay here where we’ll have all the build-up, team news, and, of course action.
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