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FT: Manchester City 1-0 Inter (Champions League Final) – Rodri strike secures treble for Premier League champions

Published:

17:29

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| Last Updated:

21:57

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Manchester City enter the biggest game of the season as they face Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday evening.

Pep Guardiola’s men are on the verge of completing a historic treble after claiming their third Premier League crown on the trot and seeing off Manchester United in the FA Cup final in May.

The Blues lost out narrowly to Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League as Kai Havertz’s goal helping the west Londoners clinch the European title, with City also suffering a late collapse in the semi-final of last season’s competition against Real Madrid.

City owner Sheikh Mansour is set to be in attendance this evening for the first time since 2010 – on what could be a era-defining night for the east Manchester outfit.

Confirmed team news from the Atatürk Olympic Stadium is expected after 6:30 PM [UK] but we’ll keep you in the loop here on any early personnel announcements.

Keep up with the buildup and the latest updates around the Champions League final with City Xtra‘s live blog below!

Refresh for updates.

FT: Manchester City 1-0 Inter

Manchester City are officially treble winners, they have done it. Champions of Europe!

[89′] – Inter have no luck today.

Lukaku heads right at Ederson from point-blank range and the rebound falls to Dias, who clears the ball away only whiskers away from the post. Five minutes of added time.

[87′[ – City almost there

A few more minutes and City will have done it. The question is: can they hold on?

[75′] – Foden magic but Inter survive

Phil Foden channelises his inner Gascoigne and drives through the Inter defence but his shot is saved expertly by Onana. Inter hanging on by a thread here.

[70′] – Inter almost level!

Inter nearly level but Lukaku blocks a header going into the net to spare City’s blushes.

[68′] – MANCHESTER CITY TAKE THE LEAD

Rodri is the man for the big occasion and places a firm strike to the left of Onana to give Manchester City a crucial lead in the final! Manchester City 1-0 Inter

[58′] – Akanji scare

Manuel Akanji has a horror moment at the back and nearly gifts a goal to Lautaro Martinez, who forces a great save from Ederson before City break and Phil Foden is taken down by Barella, who is cautioned.

45 minutes to go – or maybe more?

We’re underway in the second half of the Champions League final. Where does this one end then?

Half-time: Manchester City 0-0 Inter

Manuel Akanji launches from distance and doesn’t miss by an awful lot moments after which the referee blows for half-time.

[36′] – Phil Foden comes on

Despite trying to continue, De Bruyne signals to the Manchester City touchline and for the second Champions League final in two years, the Belgian has to be hauled off and is replaced by Phil Foden. That’s the end of the night for De Bruyne.

[30′] – De Bruyne receiving treatment

De Bruyne goes down and receives treatment from City’s medical team, but is deemed fine to carry on.

[27′] – HAALAND nearly once again!

Haaland gets his chance once played through by De Bruyne but sends a strong effort right at Onana in the best sequence of play of the game so far. De Bruyne tests Onana from distance shortly after but the Inter keeper collects comfortably.

[26′] – Ederson, again: not tonight.

Another shaky moment in possession from Ederson, who leaves his goal wide open with a misplaced pass but Inter fail to take advantage.

[21′] – City probing but Inter have prepared well

Guardiola’s men are searching for routes to goal but Inter have made a disciplined start to the game and are not allowing the Premier League champions anywhere near their box. The Serie A giants have recovered well from a rather slippery start.

[15′] – Inter are here to win, they won’t roll over for City.

Inter steal possession deep into Manchester City’s half but Ruben Dias comes in clutch to spare the Blues’ blushes, with City subsequently breaking themselves. This game has an end-to-end element to it.

[11′] – Ederson, not tonight.

Ederson sends the ball out of play trying to launch an attack from the back. Nerves amongst the fanbase you can bet but Guardiola is the calmest man in the stadium for a change.

[6′] – Silva comes close!

City look sharp and nearly take the lead as Bernardo Silva receives the ball out wide and cuts in to place an effort just missing the left post.

[3′] – Early chance for Haaland!

Manchester City are controlling possession early on and Erling Haaland sends an effort over the bar from the left side of the box – later adjudged offside.

KICK OFF!

We’re underway in Istanbul. Can Manchester City bring it home?

Sheikh Mansour in the house – nearly time for the football to begin!

Fans still outside the stadium – less than 45 minutes before KO

The teams are in the building!

Confirmed Lineups:

Manchester City: Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri; Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish; Haaland

Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Walker, Phillips, Laporte, Alvarez, Gomez, Mahrez, Perrone, Foden, Palmer, Lewis

Inter: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozović, Çalhanoğlu, Dimarco; Džeko, Lautaro

Substitutes: Handanovic, Cordaz, Gagliardini, De Vrij, Gosens, Correa, Bellanova, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, D’Ambrosio, Skriniar, Lukaku

Guardiola and City stuck in traffic!

We will be there soon, hopefully?

Delays, delays and some more delays…

Fans struggling to make their way into the stadium

No love lost between City and UEFA, as one’d expect?

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