Inter Milan Offer Different Challenge To Manchester City
Manchester City have enjoyed some memorable nights in the Champions League over recent years but rarely against Italian opponents.
It is an Italian job that awaits Pep Guardiola’s side in the final this year, with Serie A giants Inter Milan standing in the way of the Citizens and a very first Champions League title in the club’s history.
City Have Avoided Italian Challenges
The Citizens have delved deep into the latter stages of the Champions League over recent years but they have rarely come up against Italian opposition. City will go toe to toe with Inter Milan in the final this season and the English title holders are 2/9 in the odds to win the Champions League. The Nerazzurri have never played the Citizens in their history and are 6/1 with Paddy Power Football to claim victory in the final within regular time in Istanbul. It’s set to be an intriguing final between two sides who don’t have a previous meeting to draw information from.
The truth is that Man City have rarely come up against Italian sides in the Champions League. Of their last 42 games in this elite European competition, the Citizens have not faced a single Serie A side. One has to go all the way back to November 2019 for City’s last Champions League game against Italian opposition in a 1-1 draw with Atalanta. That was in the competition’s pool stages that season and City had already earned a 5-1 win over Atalanta in Manchester earlier in the group games. Proceeding that, one can go back to November 2017 for a game against an Italian outfit, as Guardiola’s side won 4-2 on the road in Napoli.
Inter Eyeing An Arm Wrestle
Having seen reigning champions Real Madrid demolished 5-1 on aggregate by City in the semi-finals, Inter will know the dangers of being too open against Guardiola’s side. Los Blancos kept things tight in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu for a 1-1 draw and Inter boss Simone Inzaghi and his coaching team can look at what went right for Los Blancos in that encounter. Real were dominated in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium and Inter can also look at how not to approach this encounter with the English champions.
What Inter do have, is an attacking lineup that can cause City problems at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Scoring 70 goals in Serie A this season, only champions Napoli managed to score more over the course of the league campaign. Inter boast an impressive attacking roster, with the likes of Lautaro Martínez, Romelu Lukaku and Edin Džeko all capable of striking against the City defence. The Citizens are not short of attacking options either, which makes for an intriguing Champions League final when these sides meet on June 10th.
City have not had regular meetings with Italian sides in the past and Inter will be hoping that can play into their favour as they look to deny the Premier League giants a maiden European crown.
