Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed his belief that his team is ready to move on from their previous Champions League final defeat and secure victory when they face Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday. The English club suffered a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in Porto during their previous appearance in the final of Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
Guardiola faced criticism for making surprising changes to the winning team, leaving out captain Fernandinho and Rodrigo from the midfield in the previous final. Reflecting on the past, Guardiola stated, “I am pretty sure that two years ago, our intention and plan were to succeed against Chelsea. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, and that’s why people questioned the decision.”
One of the bitter memories from the previous final was Kevin De Bruyne’s injury, as the Belgian playmaker was forced to leave the pitch in tears following a collision with Chelsea defender Antonio Ruediger. De Bruyne acknowledged the team’s shortcomings on that day, saying, “We were not good enough, and we must accept it. Fortunately, we have another chance to prove ourselves and win this competition.”
Manchester City aims to complete an exceptional treble by securing their first-ever Champions League title, having already won the Premier League and the FA Cup. Their recent triumph over Manchester United in the FA Cup final, with Ilkay Gundogan scoring two goals, further boosted their confidence.
Throughout this season’s knockout stages, City has displayed dominance by eliminating RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid in a convincing manner. The remarkable performance of Erling Haaland, who has scored 52 goals in all competitions since joining City from Borussia Dortmund, has been instrumental in their success.
Despite Haaland’s recent goal drought of four matches, De Bruyne, who has established great chemistry with the Norwegian forward, expressed his hope for Haaland’s resurgence against Inter. De Bruyne humorously denied any romantic connection between them, stating, “I am happy with my wife.” He added, “Sometimes you have a feeling with a player, you understand what he wants and he understands what I want or what I can do. It just clicked really well, and he started scoring at an incredible rate. Hopefully, he can perform tomorrow.”
However, De Bruyne acknowledged the need for patience in the upcoming final against an obstinate Inter side that has defied expectations by reaching their first Champions League final in 13 years. He recognized Inter’s exceptional defensive abilities and anticipated a closely contested match, saying, “We understand what Inter is. They defend incredibly well. We don’t expect it to be an open game, as finals rarely are.”
As Manchester City and Inter Milan prepare to clash in Istanbul, football fans around the world eagerly await the outcome of what promises to be a thrilling Champions League final.
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