Manchester City’s Swiss defender Manuel Akanji (L) celebrates scoring the team’s third goal during the UEFA Champions League second leg semi-final football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on May 17, 2023. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)Manchester City will face Inter Milan in the Uefa Champions League final at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday.
It promises to be one in a lifetime encounter with the Cityzens having their eyes set on completing a treble dream.The Premier League champions are odds on favorite to lift this season’s European elite trophy ahead of Inter and here are five reasons they will clinch their first Champions League trophy.The Pep Guardiola factor For Man City manager, Pep Guardiola, this is familiar territory as he is vastly experienced and this will be his fourth Champions League final as a coach.Guardiola won two UCL titles with Barcelona back in 2009 and 2011 and lost the 2021 edition as City boss and he is desperate to win his third title this weekend.
Also as the saying goes, once beaten, twice shy, the Spanish football tactician would do everything within his power to avoid a repeat of what happened in the 2020/21 season.Recall that just like this season, the Cityzens were the clear favorites to defeat fellow Premier League side, Chelsea in the champions league final but they suffered a shock 1-0 loss.Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game which Man City dominated but lost as a result of Guardiola’s overthinking, something he would guard against when they face Inter.
Guardiola would also love to be victorious in Saturday’s final as he will have won just about everything there is to win for Manchester City