In a football season that feels like it may have lasted forever, the best—hopefully—has been saved for last. Here’s everything that you should know about Saturday’s Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.
The teams
Another title-winning season for Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City saw them basically stalk Arsenal over the course of the season, incessantly hunting them down like footballing hitmen until the Gunners eventually capitulated under the pressure.
The title was Pep Guardiola’s third in a row. Having also won the FA Cup against city rivals Manchester United, they stand on the verge of an almighty treble. Despite the club’s riches, they remain virtual Euro final novices at this stage. They lost the 2021 Champions League showpiece to Chelsea, their only Euro success coming 53 years ago, when they beat Polish club Górnik Zabrze 2-1 to lift the 1970 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Inter, on the other hand, has some history here. Three-time Champions League winners and five-time finalists, victory would take them level on wins with Ajax. The last Italian side to actually lift the trophy (beating Bayern in 2010), they have also won the UEFA Cup (now Conference) three times. While Inter finished third in this season’s Serie A—albeit a whopping 18 points behind eventual winners, Napoli—they did manage to pick up the Coppa Italia, The ninth time they have managed to do so in their history.
The run to the final
Out of the two sides, Manchester City has certainly had the tougher route to Istanbul. Facing Dortmund, future Europa League winners Sevilla, and Copenhagen to top their group. After destroying RB Leipzig 8-1 on aggregate in the round of 16, they then mastered six-time Champions League winners Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. Current holders (and 14-time winners) Real Madrid awaited in the semi-finals, with City coming out comfortable 5-1 winners on aggregate.
While somewhat easier, Inter’s route has been no picnic. Qualifying from a ‘Group of Death’ that included both Bayern Munich and Barcelona, they then waged a one-team war against Portugal, beating both Porto and Benfica in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively. Their biggest test was reserved for the semi-finals, facing bitter city rivals Milan. Technically playing both games at home (the two Milan clubs share the same stadium), the derby ended up going comfortably to the blue half of the city, with Inter winning 3-0 on aggregate.
The venue
Istanbul’s imposing Ataturk Olympic stadium was actually built in anticipation of Turkey hosting the 2002 Olympics (hence the name) which then went to China. Home to the national team, the place has some serious Champions League final history, being the venue for the epic 2005 clash between Milan and Liverpool. Now known as the Miracle of Istanbul, Liverpool came back from a 3-0 halftime scoreline to ultimately win 3-2 on penalties. Even though it has a capacity of 74,753, each set of fans will only receive 19,926 each. But that’s a football industry injustice conversation for another day.
How can I watch it?
Set for Saturday June 10, if you’re in the Middle East you’re in for something of a late night, as this year’s Champions League final doesn’t kick off until 11pm (GST). Watch it live across the MENA region on TOD (beIN Sport’s online streaming platform).
If you’d rather head out and watch it in a very Pro-Manchester City environment, then Abu Dhabi-owned club itself has arranged a screening in the capital at Yas Mall. Entry is free, but it would be wise to register ahead of time. You can do it here.