Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan (C) lifts the UEFA Champions League trophy after the team’s victory in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League final against Inter at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
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Manchester City accomplished a treble after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul.
Rodri’s side kick midway through the second half broke Inter’s resistance and although Federico Dimarco hit the crossbar before Ederson made a sensational save from Romelu Lukaku, City held on to make history at Ataturk’s Olympic Stadium.
After overhauling Arsenal extensively to retain the Premier League trophy and defeating Manchester United to win the FA Cup at Wembley, they matched the city’s rivals in 1999 with this victory. Pep Guardiola cried later.
The Catalan coach won all the things at City, but this was what they’d been waiting for – European champions for the first time. For Guardiola, it’s the end of a 12-year wait to win the competition for the third time as a coach and for the fourth time overall.
How Man City made history in Turkey
It was tight and hectic. Dangerous, after all, but in addition difficult.
City’s task was made harder when Kevin De Bruyne got here out injured in the first half, the second time in three seasons that he had left the Champions League final with a game on the balance.
Ederson looked nervous early on, displaying sloppy moments that indicated the scale of the occasion. Rodri’s passing was bad. Erling Haaland cleared once but his shot was saved. It was City’s best likelihood in the first 45 minutes against organized Inter.
The duty didn’t get any easier with Lukaku replacing Edin Dzeko, and Inter might have been ahead had Ederson not picked up Lautaro Martinez from a narrow angle after Manuel Akanji inexplicably let the ball undergo. Guardiola fell to his knees in despair.
There was joy right after that. Akanji slid over to Bernardo Silva and his cut-back deflected to the approaching Rodri. The midfielder measured his finish by arching it past two Inter defenders and into the corner of the net to interrupt the deadlock.
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Rodri was on the bench during the Champions League final against Chelsea in 2021. Not this time. His goal shall be one among the most vital in City history, the moment to face the title-winner Sergio Aguero 11 years earlier. But that wasn’t the end.
Dimarco took advantage of the uncertainty in City’s penalty area as his looping header cleared Ederson only to bounce off the crossbar. The second likelihood looked easier, but this time Dimarco’s header hit Lukaku’s legs. Comfortable escape.
Lukaku had a greater likelihood with minutes left. Robin Gosens centered the ball and the striker simply needed to beat Ederson from close range. His header was strong but not in the corner and the keeper made an astonishing footwork to maintain the ball out.
This can be a rescue that shall be talked about for years. An evening that shall be talked about for years. Manchester City European champions.
The mountain is theirs.