Man City Makes History with Champions League Win Against Inter Milan

Manchester City secured the treble with a gritty 1-0 triumph against Inter Milan in the Champions League final held in Istanbul. Rodri's side-footed goal during the second half shattered Inter's defense, while Ederson's sensational save from Romelu Lukaku and Federico Dimarco's header hitting the crossbar failed to stop City from making history at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

After securing the Premier League title and the FA Cup, Manchester City has now matched the feat of their city rivals from 1999 by winning the Champions League. Pep Guardiola, who has already achieved great success at City, was overcome with emotion after finally winning the prestigious competition. This victory marks his third time winning it as a coach and fourth time overall, ending a 12-year wait.

How Man City made history in Turkey

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Ilkay Gundogan lifts the Champions League trophy as Man City celebrate

The atmosphere was charged with intensity and pressure. The situation was not only risky but also challenging.

Manchester City's challenge was further complicated when their star player, Kevin De Bruyne, had to leave the field due to an injury in the first half. This was the second time in three seasons that he had to exit a Champions League final while the game was still undecided.

Ederson appeared to be uneasy at the beginning of the match, displaying sporadic moments of carelessness that indicated the magnitude of the event. Rodri was struggling with inaccurate passes, while Erling Haaland managed to break free once but was thwarted by a save from the goalkeeper. City's most promising opportunity in the first half materialized against a well-structured Inter team.

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Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne is assisted after getting injured during the Champions League final

As soon as Lukaku came on to replace Dzeko, the task at hand did not become any easier for Inter. In fact, they had a chance to take the lead if it weren't for Ederson's save denying Martinez's shot from a tight angle. This opportunity came about after Akanji carelessly allowed the ball to slip past him. Guardiola was visibly upset as he watched on from the sidelines. However, it wasn't long until joy filled the stadium. Akanji managed to redeem himself by threading a pass through to Silva, whose cut-back deflected off an Inter player and into the path of Rodri. The midfielder seized the opportunity and expertly bent the ball past two Inter defenders and into the corner of the net, finally breaking the deadlock.

Rodri, who had been benched in the previous year's Champions League final against Chelsea, made a remarkable comeback this time. His goal will always be remembered as one of the most crucial moments in Manchester City's history, even comparable to Sergio Aguero's famous title-winning goal from 11 years ago. However, this was not the end of the intense game.

Inside the City box, Dimarco took advantage of the uncertainty and aimed a looping header towards the net. The ball hit the crossbar and bounced back, giving Dimarco another chance. However, this time his header hit Lukaku's legs, resulting in a lucky escape for City. In the final minutes of the game, Lukaku had a clear shot at the goal when Robin Gosens centred the ball. Despite the striker's firm header, Ederson made an incredible save and managed to keep the ball out of the net.

It is a save that will be talked about for years. A night that will be talked about for years. Manchester City are champions of Europe.

The treble is theirs.

Man City players reflect on hard-fought win

"I may not have played my best, but what matters is that we won the treble with this incredible group of players. It's a moment I've dreamt of my entire life and I couldn't be happier," shared Jack Grealish in his post-match interview with BT Sport. Rodri, who scored the game's only goal, echoed similar sentiments by saying, "I knew I had to overcome the situation and my mentality. Scoring that goal was unbelievable. Finals are a different ball game altogether, but our team fought till the very end. We competed like true animals."

Inter's performance deserves credit as they managed to make City appear less impressive than usual. Simone Inzaghi's tactical approach was spot on, evident by the way his team defended and countered. Ilkay Gundogan admitted that City struggled in the first half, but they improved in the second half to make it a closely contested game.

"One goal made the difference as it does many times in finals. We feel very fortunate that it was ours."

Guardiola: Written in the stars

Despite our initial difficulties in locating John Stones, we remained patient and confident in our abilities. In fact, I reminded my team at half-time of our previous experience in the 2021 Champions League final where we were down 1-0. This time, however, the score was tied at 0-0 and we made some necessary adjustments. Of course, luck always plays a role in this competition, and it was fortunate that Ederson was able to make a crucial save when it mattered most. In the end, Phil Foden had the opportunity to secure our victory with a second goal. As we all know, success in this competition can be unpredictable, but we were determined to be a strong contender. Looking back, it seems as though destiny was on our side this season and we were able to achieve our ultimate goal.

Guardiola attributed the team's success to improved defensive tactics, specifically in the box, with the addition of four strong central defenders. Despite occasional mistakes, the team feels more secure in their defensive abilities. The momentum of winning the Premier League and FA Cup also played a significant role in achieving the treble, which Guardiola acknowledged as a difficult feat. Ultimately, the manner in which they achieved the treble is less significant than simply achieving it.

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Pep Guardiola with the Champions League trophy following Man City's win

Man City's treble in stats