Manchester City face Inter Milan in the Champions League final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul today.
It was no surprise to see that Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City tonight, despite coming into the final on a comparatively poor run of goal-scoring form. The Norwegian sensation has hit 50 goals in all competitions this season but just once in his past six matches.
The Champions League has also seen Man City outperform Inter. We can talk about schedules all we want but they don’t directly correlate, but it’s worth noting that Man City have scored 31 goals in the competition, more than anybody else, with Inter scoring just 19 times on their way to the final. City have averaged four extra shots per game than Inter and they’ve had an average of 61% possession in their games, while Inter have failed to dominate games, with just 45%.
Manchester City are the best football team in a generation and, having waited years to win the Champions League, a trophy they truly covet, Saturday will see them earn their crowning achievement, winning a famous treble and showcasing why they’re the best team on the planet.
the Champions League final lineups
So here’s how the two teams line up this evening. The big talking point is the absence of Kyle Walker, so impressive in the semi-final against Real Madrid, from the City starting XI. For Inter Milan, former City striker Edin Dzeko starts up front.
Man City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Stones, Dias, Ake, Rodrigo, Gundogan (C), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland
Inter XI: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Çalhanoglu, Dimarco; Dzeko, Lautaro Martínez
You’re just a few clicks away from the Champions League final live stream as we’ve found local options from the US, UK, Italy, Austria, and Canada and will show you how to enjoy them even if you’re not in those countries via a VPN, which simulates your device to be in a different country to get around geo-block viewing restrictions. Better yet, the game will be shown for free in some of the countries we’ve picked out. This is ideal if you’re abroad today but still want to watch the game.
How to watch Champions League final
What: Champions League final
Who: Machester City vs. Inter Milan
When: 3 p.m. ET Saturday
Where: Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul
TV: CBS, Univision
There is a danger of opponents focusing too much on Haaland. With 52 goals this season, he is clearly their biggest goal threat, yet it is Rodri who makes the team tick from the base of midfield. Last season in the Premier League alone he completed 2,977 passes, shifting the ball quickly and showing his range of distribution. Plenty of City’s moves go through the Spaniard, who dictates the pace of the game and allows De Bruyne to create further forward.
The Citizens know this is their chance to raise the prestigious trophy. Celebrations two weekends in a row, one of those following a victory against rival Manchester United, have them soaring. They are 21-5-1 in their past 27 matches, and they have the best attack in the world. They scored 94 goals in their 38 matches, most among the teams in the world’s top five leagues. Only four teams in that group conceded fewer than their 33, while Inter scored 71 and conceded 42 in league play. Erling Haaland led the EPL with a record 36 goals, and Kevin De Bruyne had a league-high 16 assists.
But Serie A giants Inter Milan will still represent a stern test as they look to return to the pinnacle of European glory.
The Nerazzurri, who won the latest of their three Champions League titles in 2010, have kept five clean sheets in six games in this year’s knockout stages.
Despite the greatness of Guardiola he hasn’t lifted a Champions League trophy since 2011, failing to do so at Bayern Munich and failing, so far at least, at Man City. His Man City team lost to Chelsea at this stage two years ago and he’s almost out-thought himself at various other stages of the competitions. Given the quality he has, and has had, at his disposal, he simply needs to win this, and I’m very confident he will.