You could be forgiven for thinking Manchester City are already European champions given the confidence with which BT Sport's pundits spoke about the upcoming final with Inter.
Before City even took to the field in their eventual 4-0 annihilation of Real Madrid, the likes of Michael Owen and Rio Ferdinand were acting as though Inter were a complete non-entity. If Pep Guardiola's side can just get past the kings of Europe, then they've basically won the trophy.
"I think as a player going into it and you know who is in the final, you think if you’d have given them to me at the beginning of this tournament, I would have bit your arm off," Ferdinand said. "This is where both of these teams will be in them dressing rooms, thinking this is now the final. If we win this, guys, we win the Champions League."
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He was echoing Owen's earlier thoughts: "I just think that it could be their year this time and there is no question about it - not being disrespectful - but they know that this is possibly the final tonight. Yes, they know there’s a big challenge against Inter Milan, a decent side, but this is the hardest challenge they’ve got all season."
While City are undoubted favourites to defeat the Italian giants, to dismiss them so easily would be a massive mistake. The Nerazzurri qualified from a group containing Barcelona and Bayern Munich when no one gave them a chance, are the most in-form side in Italy, and overcame their city rivals in the semi-final.
The Premier League flops in their starting XI might suggest a ragtag bunch of journeymen, but they are a highly disciplined side with a great deal of quality in attacking areas. They have plenty of
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