Manchester City will look to win the Champions League for the first time and complete the Treble when they face Inter Milan in the final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday. Pep Guardiola’s side have already won the Premier League and FA Cup, and are looking to become the second English side to achieve the Treble, following Manchester United’s feat in 1998-99. City head into the final in ideal form having lost just one of their past 26 games in all competitions and also going unbeaten in Europe this season, winning seven of 12 matches. Guardiola is chasing European success for the first time since winning the competition in 2011 with Barcelona, with whom he also secured a treble two years earlier.
Inter Milan, under Jose Mourinho, knocked Guardiola’s Barcelona out in the semi-finals on the way to winning a treble of their own in 2010, but this will be the Italians’ first meeting with City. Simone Inzaghi’s side have kept a tournament-high eight clean sheets in 12 matches so far, with goalkeeper Andre Onana their standout performer. They also possess a potent strike force led by Lautaro Martinez, who has 28 goals and 11 assists from 58 games this season.
Manchester City are the overwhelming favourites against Inter, but Guardiola insists his side are taking nothing for granted. Erling Haaland has had a stunning first season in English football since joining from Borussia Dortmund last summer, having broken the Premier League record for most goals in a season with 36 and scored 52 times in all competitions at a rate of a goal every 78 minutes. The Norway international is desperate to add the Champions League to his trophy haul and is looking to become the first Norwegian to score in the final since Ole Gunnar Solskjær, whose goal secured United the Treble in 1999.