Manchester City are eager to achieve greatness in Europe, and this Saturday in Istanbul, they have the chance to do just that. Facing Inter Milan, they will be looking for their first Champions League title, which has been the club’s main objective since it was acquired by an Emirati investment fund in 2008.
After a few years of disappointment, the English club decided to take bold steps and sign the most prestigious coach in Europe at the time, Pep Guardiola. The obsession was to win the Champions League.
In Guardiola’s seven years in charge, City have won five Premier League titles. In 2021, they came close to their goal by reaching the Champions League final, although they lost it to Chelsea.
To provide the final push, they signed Norwegian striker Erling Haaland this year. His 52 goals have been instrumental in winning the Premier League and FA Cup and reaching the Champions League final, where he has scored 12 goals in seven games.
“We have to accept that if we want to be a really big club, we have to win in Europe and win the Champions League. It’s inevitable,” Guardiola said ahead of the final against Inter.
The fan zone in Istanbul was packed with City fans several hours before the match. Supporters expressed their confidence in victory and stressed the importance of Haaland as a goalscorer in games like this.
Winning the Champions League has become an obsession and a dream for the team, and their midfielder Kevin De Bruyne acknowledged that every footballer wants to win this tournament.
Although Guardiola has won numerous titles throughout his career, he seems to have a lot at stake in this match as he looks to win Europe’s most important title away from Barcelona, where he won it twice.
City have the opportunity to achieve a treble, just as city rivals Manchester United did in 1999. They have performed solidly in the Champions League, scoring 31 goals and conceding just five, while Inter have scored 19 and conceded 10.
However, Inter arrive in high spirits after winning the Coppa Italia, and their striker Lautaro Martinez is one of the team’s stars. Inter’s goal will be to stop City’s dreams of greatness and restore Italian pride in the competition, as no Italian team has reached the final since 2010.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi is aware of the challenge they face and recognizes that Manchester City are arguably the best team in the world. City are looking to consolidate their reputation in Europe, while Inter are looking to regain their lost prestige.