Chris Sutton is in Istanbul for BBC Radio 5 Live’s coverage of the Champions League final, with build-up starting at 18:30 BST on Saturday. Kick-off is at 20:00 BST. Manchester City and Inter Milan will face off in the final, with City looking to complete the Treble. BBC football expert Chris Sutton has taken on famous City fans Noel Gallagher and Blanco to predict who will win the match.
Sutton believes that City are far superior to Inter Milan and should win the match, but he is wary of City’s history in the Champions League since Guardiola took charge in 2016. Gallagher is also confident of a City victory, noting that Inter have lost 12 times this season in Serie A and finishing fourth is almost unheard of in the Premier League. Blanco is nervous about the match, worrying that Inter could play for penalties from the first minute.
Sutton believes that Inter will struggle to compete with City’s intensity in the middle of the park for 90 minutes, and Gallagher notes that Inter may try to play for penalties if they think it is their best chance of winning. Blanco is worried about penalties being given for handball in the Champions League.
Sutton believes that City have goals from other areas beyond Erling Haaland, who has only scored one goal in his past seven appearances, and Gallagher believes that if City can play like they did against Real Madrid then there is no team in the world that can get near them. Blanco hopes for an early goal from City without a dodgy decision to level it out, and Gallagher believes that if Inter score first then it will be a tricky tie for Guardiola’s side.
Sutton predicts that if City do get over the line then they will win by a country mile, while Gallagher and Blanco both believe that City will win at the end of the night. There is no replay in the Champions League final, and if the score is level after 90 minutes it will be decided by extra time and penalties.