Manchester City will be eyeing their maiden UEFA Champions League trophy and along with it, the prospect of becoming only the second English side to complete a historic and elusive treble. However, standing between them and immortal success are Italian giants Inter Milan who are seeking redemption in Europe and are searching for their first Champions League success since conquering the treble under Jose Mourinho in 2010.
The two behemoths of European football will be facing each other for the first time at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday night. They are arriving into the final on the back of contrasting fortunes in their domestic leagues. Pep Guardiola’s side defended their Premier League crown and also added an FA Cup win against arch-rivals Manchester City while Inter were left in the dust by Napoli.
Pep Guardiola has already added yet another Premier League trophy and an FA Cup to his illustrious CV with Manchester City but the one trophy that he desires the most has eluded him since he left Barcelona over a decade ago. It’s a shame that the standout manager of this generation has gone so long without touching another Champions League trophy but the Spaniard will find another chance at redemption on Saturday.
Man City had previously come close in 2021, but found no cigar. Facing Premier League rivals Chelsea in the final, a lone goal from Kai Havertz robbed them off the opportunity to break their continental drought. However, the City side this season has been one of the finest iterations under Guardiola and they overcame RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and last season’s champions Real Madrid on their way to the final.
Victory over Real Madrid was extremely encouraging for fans of the club. Not only did they go toe-to-toe with the most successful side in the history of this competition, City were able to make them look like amateurs in a 4-0 humbling on home soil.
Since teaching Los Blancos a lesson in football, Man City have successfully defended their Premier League crown amidst attention from Arsenal and also got the better of city rivals Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final. City’s end-of-season specialist Ilkay Gundogan was instrumental in both successes while star striker Erling Haaland just can’t stop scoring goals.
Scoring at least once in each of their last seven Champions League affairs, Man City could become the fourth team from England to lift the Champions League trophy aloft in the tournament’s current format. The only other country to also possess three winners are Italy and they have a worthy representative in Inter this time around.
Inter Milan were no match for eventual Serie A champions Napoli who left every other side in Italy in the dust on their way to a much-coveted Scudetto title. However, it hasn’t been completely fruitless as Inter defeated Fiorentina 2-1 in the final to win the Coppa Italia. The icing on the cake was the fact that they destroyed their arch-rivals AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate on their way to the final.
Inter then went on to register an identical success over the Rossoneri in the Champions League semi-finals. Lautaro Martinez’s strike proved decisive in the second leg of that contest and the Nerazzurri will now be taking part in a European final for the 11th time in their rich and fabled history.
Inter have also bagged the Supercoppa Italiana this season and they are also two-time winners of the Champions League. The black and blue outfit from Milan haven’t touched the Champions League trophy in 13 years since Diego Milito scored twice for them in the final against Bayern Munich back in 2010.
Much has been made of Man City’s affinity for goal-laden showings, but Inter’s dogged defence has kept five clean sheets in six Champions League knockout matches in 2022-23 – the one aberration being their 3-3 quarter-final second-leg draw with Benfica – and only Arsenal’s beaten finalists in 2005-06 have recorded six knockout shut-outs before.
Inter Milan are also only the fourth team to reach the final after losing their first Champions League match of the season after Milan in 1994-95, Bayern Munich in 1998-99 and Tottenham in the 2018-19 season. However, all three of those outfits ended up walking past the trophy en route to collecting their runners-up medals, and Inter will join that unwanted club unless they can discover the template to prolong Man City’s European gloom.
Where to watch Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League 2022-23 Final live in India?
The live streaming for Manchester City vs Inter Milan in the Europa League final will be available on Sony LIV in India.
The broadcast of the Europa League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan will be on the Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 2 HD (English), Sony TEN 3, Sony TEN 3 HD (Hindi), Sony TEN 4, and Sony TEN 4 HD (Tamil and Telugu) TV channels in India.
Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League 2022-23 Final live match start time
As per Indian Standard Time (IST)
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
| June 11, Sunday | Manchester City vs Inter Milan | Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul | 12:30 AM |
Top 5 Fantasy Picks for the Manchester City vs Inter UEFA Champions League 2022-23 Final
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Forward):
Erling Haaland has been one of the best players in the world this season. The Norwegian has proven to be a smash-hit signing for Manchester City and with 36 goals in the 2022/23 season, Haaland is the new record holder for most goals in a single Premier League season. Haaland also has a terrific record in the Champions League where he has 35 goals in just 29 matches. Inter defenders will have their work cut out trying to stop the goal-hungry 22-year-old.
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Forward):
Lautaro Martinez will carry Inter Milan’s best hopes of finding the back of the net. The Argentine striker is expected to lead the counter-attacks given Inter’s overly defensive approach. He is the top-scorer for them this season with 21 goals across all competitions and the World Cup winner has also registered seven assists.
Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City, Midfielder):
Ilkay Gundogan has proven to be Manchester City’s hero time and time again and this season has been no different. He has made the difference in the all-important final stages of the Premier League title-winning run. Gundogan also scored twice, including the fastest goal in an FA Cup final, against Manchester United to seal the second trophy for City this season. With his future at the club in doubt, this could be his final game for Manchester City and the German midfielder would love to mark it with a special performance.
Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan, Defender):
Alessandro Bastoni has been at the heart of the Inter Milan defence which has proven to be rock solid in the Champions League. They have kept five clean sheets in the six Champions League knockout matches so far and Bastoni is a sturdy defender who will be expected to lead the backline. How the match eventually unfolds will depend on how well Inter’s defence cope with City’s forward pressing charges and Bastoni will have a major say in keeping the likes of Haaland and De Bruyne quiet.
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Midfielder):
The man for all occasions for Manchester City – Kevin De Bruyne will be keen on exacting revenge in the Champions League final. The Belgian midfielder had to walk off the pitch in tears after suffering a devastating injury in the previous final that City reached in 2021 against Chelsea. This time around, however, he will be looking to make a difference. De Bruyne’s partnership and understanding with Haaland is virtually unstoppable and De Bruyne has registered 18 assists and seven goals this season.
