2023 Champions League Final Preview: Manchester City vs. Inter Milan
Manchester City and Inter Milan are set to battle it out in the Champions League final Saturday to win club soccer’s biggest prize.
Manchester City is seeking to win its first-ever Champions League title, while Inter is looking to win its fourth.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two sides. Pep Guardiola’s squad is the heavy favorite and, to many, the best team in the world at the moment.
Inter is no pushover, though, and has the quality to upset the English champions if they get their game plan right.
Below is a preview of this year’s Champions League Final.
General Information
This year’s Champions League final is being held in Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak will head the referee crew for the final. Marciniak came under fire recently for his appearance at an event organized by an extreme right-wing Polish politician. However, after an investigation, UEFA has decided that he will still take charge of the Champions League final.
Odds
Caesars Sportsbook lists Man City as the -230 favorite and Inter Milan as the +600 underdog. A draw is listed as +350 and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5
How to Watch
Kickoff for the game is set for 3 p.m. ET. The game will be shown in English on CBS and in Spanish on TUDN. The game will also be streamed on Paramount+.
Manchester City Information
Manchester City beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the semifinals to advance to the Champions League final.
They now have a chance to complete the treble tomorrow with a victory. They have won the Premier League and the FA Cup in what is already a remarkable year. However, they need the Champions League to truly cement themselves as one of the best teams in history.
They would be the first squad to win the treble since Manchester United did so in the 1998-1999 season.
While City do look like the overwhelming favorite tomorrow, they have never won the Champions League before. They reached the final in 2021, losing 1-0 to Chelsea.
They have won every competition besides the Champions League. Guardiola has acknowledged this and admitted that he needs to win a Champions League to secure his legacy at the club.
What City Needs To Do To Win
Just be themselves. That’s it. They are by far the best team in the world at the moment. They have the best striker in the world in Erling Haaland, one of the best playmakers in the world in Kevin De Bruyne and have incredible depth in every position.
City will have to pay mind to the two strikers that Inter plays with. Lautaro Martínez will be partnered with either Edin Džeko or Romelu Lukaku. Very few teams play with two outright strikers, so this will provide City’s defense with a challenge they have not faced this season.
Lautaro offers a more mobile option, while Džeko and Lukako offer a physical force up front. No matter which of the two starts with Lautaro, the other will likely sub in with 20-30 minutes to go, and their fresh legs could threaten the more tired City defense.
City’s biggest enemy in this game, however, will be themselves and Guardiola’s mind. Sometimes, he is a little too smart for his own good.
He joked about this before the Real Madrid tie, claiming that he wouldn’t overthink his tactics after being accused of doing so in the past.
If Guardiola stays out of his own head and his players perform like they have been performing all year, they will win the Champions League.
Inter Milan Information
Inter Milan beat AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate in the semifinals to reach the Champions League final.
Unlike their opponents, Inter Milan does have a history of winning the Champions League. They won the competition in 1964 and 1965 when it was known as the European Cup, and, more recently, won it in 2010 with José Mourinho as manager.
While City are definitely the favorites to win tomorrow, I do not believe Inter is being given the credit they deserve.
They have quietly had a really impressive year, winning the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana along with reaching the Champions League final. They also finished third in a highly-competitive Serie A season, securing their place in the Champions League again next year.
This is why manager Simone Inzaghi is not nervous heading into the final
“We face the best. We’re talking about a football match and with all due respect, I’m not afraid of anything,” Inzaghi said.
What Inter Needs To Do To Win
City is going to have the bulk of the possession tomorrow. Inzaghi has to realize that and prepare his team to soak up the pressure and break when they have the opportunity.
Inter has typically played with three defenders and Denzel Dumfries and Robin Gosens acting as wingbacks this season. For a lot of this Champions League final, Dumfries and Gosens are going to have to focus on their defensive duties to help keep City out.
When they get their chance on the counter-attack, Dumfries and Gosens are going to have to pick their moments to get forward. However, they cannot be too foolish in doing so since City has Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden on the wings to devastate Inter on the counter.
Set pieces will also be key for Inter. In a game where they will likely not be on the ball as much as City, Inter are going to have to take advantage of any chance they have to score. Set pieces can offer them this outlet, especially with the size that Francesco Acerbi, Stefan De Vrij, Alessandro Bastoni, Džeko and Lukaku have to offer.
More importantly, however, Inter is going to have to stop Haaland and De Bruyne. Haaland leads the Champions League in goals with 12 scored this campaign. De Bruyne has contributed two goals himself while also providing seven assists. If Inter are going to win, they are going to have to stop this dynamic duo.
Prediction
I do believe that Inter will do a good job protecting André Onana for most of this game and will create some dangerous chances themselves. However, I think they will get caught on the counter in the second half when their legs are tired, and Haaland will finish off a De Bruyne-led counter-attack.
With the game winding down, I think City will get their second through Bernardo Silva cutting inside and finishing with his famous left foot.
Inter will put up a fight, but City’s quality will ultimately see them through.
Manchester City will win 2-0 and its first Champions League title.
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