Manchester City tasted a sweet victory in the Champions League on Saturday as a second-half strike by Rodri secured a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in an exhilarating final.
In the midst of a tense battle at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Rodri found the back of the net midway through the second half, capitalizing on a brilliant assist from Bernardo Silva. This decisive goal sealed the fate of a game in which City faced an opponent that had exceeded expectations by reaching the final.
Despite facing challenges and losing Kevin De Bruyne to injury, Pep Guardiola’s side managed to complete a remarkable treble.
Although Erling Haaland failed to score in his fifth consecutive match, Manchester City showcased their strength and clinched the victory.
Having already claimed their fifth Premier League title in six seasons and adding the FA Cup to their collection, City became the first English club since Manchester United in 1999 to achieve such a treble. This remarkable triumph comes 24 years after City’s victory in the English third-tier play-off final against Gillingham.
Now firmly established as the dominant force in English football, City finally added the ultimate prize in European club football, overcoming their previous defeat to Chelsea in the final two years ago.
The presence of owner Sheikh Mansour, who rarely attends City matches, added significance to the occasion as his team solidified their transformation from underdogs to a football superpower since his acquisition of the club in 2008.
Guardiola’s third Champions League title elevates him to an elite group of coaches who have achieved this feat. Twelve years after his last triumph with Barcelona, the Catalan maestro has once again reached the pinnacle of European football.
While City convincingly dispatched RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid on their journey to the final, the battle against Inter proved to be a challenging one. Federico Dimarco and substitute Romelu Lukaku both came close to equalizing late in the game, but City held on to secure their victory.
Inter, hoping to clinch their fourth Champions League title, fell short but will have another chance to compete in the prestigious competition next season under the guidance of Simone Inzaghi.
With this victory, Manchester becomes only the second city, alongside Milan, to produce two different winners of the coveted Champions League trophy.
Although the match did not reach the dramatic heights of the iconic 2005 Champions League final held at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, where Liverpool famously overcame a three-goal deficit against AC Milan, it proceeded without any major incidents.
This marked a stark contrast to the chaos that marred the previous year’s final at the Stade de France in Paris. However, the stadium’s location, situated approximately 25 kilometres west of central Istanbul, posed challenges to the fans’ accessibility.
City anticipated Inter’s defensive approach and pressed on, with Nathan Ake starting in defence instead of Kyle Walker. The first half unfolded according to the Italians’ plan, with City’s best chance saved by Andre Onana after a setup by De Bruyne.
The blow came for City when De Bruyne, who suffered a leg injury in the 2021 final, was forced off the field in the 36th minute. Phil Foden replaced him as the teams faced the possibility of extra time and a final extending past midnight.
The game’s intensity increased, and Lautaro Martinez missed a golden opportunity presented by a poor back pass from Silva. City then seized the moment in the 68th minute as Rodri capitalized on Manuel Akanji’s pass, with Silva’s cutback deflecting off an Inter defender.
This marked Rodri’s second goal in the competition following his stunning opener against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals first leg.
Inter’s resistance was finally broken, yet they came agonizingly close to equalizing as a header from Dimarco struck the crossbar. In the 88th minute, Ederson miraculously denied Lukaku’s goal-bound effort, preserving City’s lead.
After coming agonizingly close in recent Champions League campaigns, Manchester City finally emerged victorious, etching their name in football history.
