2023 Champions League final preview: Manchester City have a date with destiny against Inter.
Istanbul could be the place where Manchester City finally fulfil their destiny of winning the Champions League, in a project that has been in the works for well over a decade. The Sky Blues have established themselves as the top team in the Premier League, but they haven’t been able to make the same impact in Europe.
The closest that they ever came to the trophy was the 2021 final, where Chelsea won the trophy in Portugal. However, this time around, things are very different for Pep Guardiola and his side.
The Catalonian manager has probably never had a more dominant squad at City than he has right now. The arrival of Erling Haaland has been the key factor that has completely turned things around for City, giving them the elusive 10-15% extra that they need to win games that seemed to fall out of their reach.
And the Norwegian will be expected to deliver on the biggest stage of his career so far as well. He has already broken the scoring records in the Premier League, and only one victory stands between Haaland’s City and the coveted Champions League trophy.
However, it would be unwise to completely disregard Inter Milan. Although they are the clear underdogs, it takes a lot of effort to make it to a Champions League final. And following their remarkable defensive performance against Milan in the semi-final, there is a decent chance that they could turn things in their favour on the grand stage as well. But, make no mistake that they are heading in as the underdogs with huge odds against them.
2023 Champions League final preview: Team news
Guardiola has a completely fit squad at his disposal, and the newfound 3-2-4-1 formation should be what he goes with in the final as well. Rodri and John Stones should work as the pivot, while Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Ederson maintain their spots in the lineup alongside Ilkay Gundogan. The wide positions could feature either Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden or Riyad Mahrez, with all four making worthy claims to start. But, only two will be able to feature on either side.
Inter, on the other hand, will be able to feature a returning Milan Skriniar. However, it is unlikely that he will start in the finals. Simeone Inzaghi is expected to start Marcelo Brozovic in midfield alongside either of Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Hakan Calhanoglu, and Nicolo Barella.
The choice of attackers is also going to be important, with either Romelu Lukaku or former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko expected to start alongside Lautaro Martinez.
2023 Champions League final preview: Who has the best chance to win?
On paper, Manchester City are the clear favourites to beat Inter and complete the fabled treble. But, Inter have a treble charge to their name as well, and could pull off a huge upset in Istanbul as well. The odds, however, are stacked against them.
