Man City are built for Champions League dominance after passing final hurdle

Manchester City are primed to prove their Champions League glory was no fluke.

Rodri’s goal proved to be the difference on that unforgettable night in Istanbul as City finally got their hands on the most treasured prize in European club football. It had been a long time coming for Pep Guardiola’s side, who signed off last season with a treble and ended the talk of being unable to get over that final continental hurdle.

City have begun the new campaign in similarly imperious fashion as they prepare to get their Champions League campaign under way against Cverna Zvezda on Tuesday. The City boss previously suggested it would be impossible for his side to repeat their historic feat, but it did not take long after lifting the famous trophy for Guardiola to target more European success.

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"I don't want us to disappear after one Champions League," Guardiola said in the immediate aftermath of the team’s win over Inter Milan. "We have to work harder.

“There are teams that win the Champions League that disappear - we have to avoid that. Knowing me, that won't happen. It's a big relief for the club, for the institution to win this trophy. Finally people won't ask me if I'm going to win the Champions League or not.”

Winning the Champions League was a collective weight off of the shoulders for both Guardiola and the City squad, who had repeatedly faced the same criticism. The pain felt from their 2021 final defeat, none more so than by Kevin De Bruyne, was finally replaced by a sense of jubilation.

“It’s what I’ve been fighting for for many, many years,” De Bruyne