The 2022/23 Champions League final kicks off on Saturday, June 10, and Man City faces Inter Milan in Istanbul. Both sides will be desperate to get their hands on Europe’s most coveted title and the stakes are high for both challengers. There will be particular intrigue in the US as betting on the Champions League in the US has drawn a lot of attentionthis season.
Serial Premier League winners Man City have won every domestic honour several times. Yet the esteemed Champions League trophy has hung over the Manchester club and Pep Guardiola for years.
For Inter, the final is perhaps slightly different. An up-and-down campaign has ended in dizzying heights for Simone Inzaghi and his Inter side. I Nerazzurri won ten of their last 11 matches and beat Fiorentina 2-1 in the Coppa Italia final.
The momentum has given the Milan side confidence heading into their showdown with City. However, both Guardiola and Inzaghi are fierce competitors with their pros and cons ahead of the Champions League final.
Rampant City
Since Guardiola joined Man City in 2016, the club has improved hugely in Europe. However, despite clear progress, the club is yet to lift the Champions League title. The Citizens came closest in the 2021 final when they eventually lost 1-0 against Chelsea.
Also, the club was denied a second consecutive final appearance last season after City gave up a 4-3 first-leg lead and lost 6-5 to Real Madrid on aggregate.
This season, Guardiola and City have been ruthless on their run to the final, showing less frailty compared to previous European campaigns. City are unbeaten in their 12 matches so far and the Manchester side has turned over some of Europe’s biggest clubs in the knockout stages.
An emphatic 8-1 aggregate win of Leipzig was followed by one-sided encounters against Bayern Munich (4-1) and Real Madrid (5-1).
City’s firepower combined with a newfound psychological determination to progress has given them the favourite status heading into the 2022/23 final. In addition, the Citizens are still in the hunt for the coveted treble title, which could add extra fuel to Guardiola’s fire in Istanbul.
Hard to Beat Inter
Where City have blown away their opponents with pure firepower, Inter has been more pragmatic in crafting their run to the Champions League final. Inzaghi’s side has been hard to beat and produced goalscoring opportunities at vital moments to keep the momentum rolling in Europe.
In particular, I Nerazzurri produced some outstanding counter-attacking displays during the knockout rounds of the Champions League. Inter progressed past Portuguese giants Porto and Benfica and fierce city rivals AC Milan without losing a single match. In addition, other than a 3-3 draw at home against Benfica in the quarter-final second leg, Inter Milan kept five clean sheets in five matches.
This defence-first approach from Inzaghi’s side makes them incredibly difficult to play against. In the semi-final against AC Milan, Inter raced to a quick 2-0 lead in the first leg and strangled their opponents out of the contest, effectively providing a platform to progress.
Pep vs Inzaghi Showdow
Guardiola will be used to the wily defensive set-up often used by visiting sides at the Etihad in the Premier League. However, Inter are an expert at their craft and are likely to treat this contest as if they are the away team set up to defend for their lives to remain in with a shot of upsetting City once more in Europe.
But there is also the question mark about the experience of Inzaghi on football’s biggest stages. Other than four Coppa Italia final appearances, Inzaghi has not had any further experiences in major competition finals. Although, the Italian coach has won three of his four Coppa Italia finals.
In contrast, Guardiola is a seasoned veteran when it comes to preparing his side for major matches. The Spanish manager has led his sides to three previous Champions League finals, with his only defeat coming in the 2021 final against Chelsea.
This will be the first managerial meeting between Guardiola and Inzaghi. It is set to be a serious contest between two coaches with contrasting approaches in one of the biggest matches in world football.