Rio Ferdinand sends Manchester United 'prayer' as he predicts Champions League final

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is praying Erik ten Hag can eventually close the gap to Manchester City ahead of tonight's Champions League final.

City travel to Istanbul's Ataturk Stadium hoping to complete the Treble after a successful season. Last weekend, the Blues beat United in the FA Cup final to secure their second piece of silverware of the campaign.

Victory over Inter Milan tonight would complete the treble which has only ever been accomplished by the Reds in England. While not as successful as Pep Guardiola's season, Ten Hag has enjoyed some joy in his debut year at Old Trafford.

United won the Carabao Cup in February and a third place Premier League finish ensured Champions League football next season. Speaking on BT Sport, Ferdinand is hoping Ten Hag can close in on City further in 2023/24.

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"It’s hard to sit here and hear this [talk about City's dominance]," he explained. "Since Alex Ferguson has gone, they have dominated.

"You’ve got to hope and pray Erik ten Hag and his boys can move it on. Listen, everyone knows I’m Red. I don’t want Man City to do great and remarkable things.

"But you’ve got to respect what they’re doing. I don’t have that bitterness. If it wasn’t for Pep and the way his team has played, and the players that perform the way they do so consistently, I would hate all this even more.

"But the respect overrides everything for me at the moment. If they win it, my emotions and feelings could be very different."

When pushed for his prediction, Ferdinand admitted he could only see the match going one way. "I’d love it go 0-0 at half-time, just to keep the game alive," he insisted. If Man City go 1-0 up, its game over…