Sports

Man City Vs Inter: All You Need To Know

Published

3 years ago

June 10, 2023

Manchester City and Inter Milan will compete against each other for the UEFA Champions League trophy, with the match taking place at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, which is the chosen venue for the final in 2023.

This will be Manchester City’s second attempt at winning the trophy, while Inter Milan has won it three times in the past.

This is City’s second time reaching the final in three seasons, having lost to Chelsea in 2021. Meanwhile, Inter Milan have reached the final for the first time since winning the competition in 2010. The two teams have never met before in UEFA competition. City are unbeaten in the competition this season, while Inter have suffered two defeats.

Final pedigree

Manchester City

Manchester City have reached the UEFA Champions League final for the second time in three seasons, having lost to Chelsea in 2021. If they win, they will become the 23rd team to win the European Cup and the first new name on the trophy since Chelsea’s 2012 victory.

This is City’s third European final, having won the 1969/70 European Cup Winners’ Cup final. In the UEFA Champions League era, the Premier League has six wins and nine defeats in 25 final appearances, with five of the last six finals involving Premier League representation.

Pep Guardiola could become the sixth coach to win the European Cup with two different clubs.

Inter

Inter Milan have won three and lost two European Cup finals, with their most recent win being against Bayern in 2010. If they win the final against Manchester City, they will have four European Cups, level with Ajax and behind Real Madrid, Milan, Bayern, Liverpool, and Barcelona.

Inter are the last Italian team to win the UEFA Champions League, and only one Serie A club has made it to the final after Juventus lost to Barca in 2015 and Real Madrid in 2017.

Italian clubs have won five and lost eight finals in the Champions League era. Inter’s overall record in UEFA finals is W8 L5, having won three UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League finals and both European/South American Cups.

Manchester City

This is Manchester City’s 12th consecutive UEFA Champions League campaign. In their last 10 campaigns, they have advanced to the knockout rounds each time, with their best performance being a loss to Chelsea in the 2020/21 final.

This season, City won their group with 12 points and have finished first in their group for six consecutive seasons.

They scored 11 goals in the first three games and advanced to the knockout rounds with a goalless draw at Copenhagen.

Their biggest win was a 7-0 victory against Leipzig, and they scored 14 goals in their three home knockout games.

They advanced to the final after eliminating Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Erling Haaland has scored 12 goals in the competition.

Inter

Inter Milan have performed quite well in the Champions League, keeping clean sheets in eight of their last 11 matches and conceding ten goals this season.

They have had mixed success against English clubs in knockout ties, with six wins and six losses. They have won all three of their European Cup triumphs against English opponents, including a win against Liverpool last season.

Inter have seven wins in their last 12 games against Premier League opposition. They have played five previous UEFA matches in Turkey, with one win, two draws, and two losses. They have yet to score in Istanbul.

Links and trivia

Edin Džeko scored 72 goals in 189 games for Manchester City between 2011 and 2015, and was part of the team that won the Premier League title in 2011/12 and 2013/14, as well as the FA Cup in 2010/11 and the English League Cup in 2013/14.

Other players who have played in England include Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Matteo Darmian, and Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku has played 18 games against City, winning three, drawing three, and losing 12. He has scored five goals, with the most notable being a 1-1 draw at the City of Manchester Stadium and a 4-0 home success at Goodison Park while playing for Everton. Lukaku is currently on loan to Inter from Chelsea.

Pep Guardiola ended his playing career in Europe after playing for Brescia and Roma in different seasons. Inzaghi scored in Lazio’s 5-0 win against Guardiola’s Brescia in 2001, and Lazio won 3-1 against Brescia in Rome in 2003, which was one of the last games of Guardiola’s European playing career.

Guardiola scored one of his three Serie A goals with a penalty for Brescia in a 2-1 loss to Inter in 2002. Enzo Maresca, one of Guardiola’s staff at City, played in Italy with several teams. André Onana, Inter’s goalkeeper, was in the Barcelona academy when Guardiola was the first team coach between 2010 and 2012. Onana has made the most saves in this season’s UEFA Champions League, and has played every minute of the campaign, which is the same for Džeko, Mkhitaryan, and Lautaro Martínez for Inter and Bernardo Silva, Gündoğan, and Jack Grealish for City.

Stones and Lukaku played together at Everton from 2013 to 2016, while De Bruyne and Lukaku played together at Chelsea in 2013. Gündoğan and Mkhitaryan were teammates at Borussia Dortmund from 2013 to 2016. Aké and de Vrij, as well as Dumfries, played for the Netherlands, while Gündoğan and Gosens played for Germany.

Álvarez and Martínez, as well as Correa, were on Argentina’s team that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Barella and Lukaku were on the scoresheet when Italy defeated Belgium in the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 2020. Walker, Stones, Phillips, Grealish, and Foden played for England when they won against Italy in a UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier.

Barella scored against De Bruyne’s team as Italy won against Belgium in the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals third-place play-off. Gündoğan and Bastoni both scored in Germany’s victory against Italy in the UEFA Nations League, where Barella and Dimarco also played for Italy.

Credit || UEFA

Sports

AFCON 2025: Lookman Scores Winner As Super Eagles Start Campaign With 2–1 Victory Over Tanzania

Published

1 day ago

December 23, 2025

Editor

Ademola Lookman scored what proved to be the decisive goal as Nigeria beat Tanzania 2-1 in their opening game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles came into the match as heavy favourites to win and dominated the opening exchanges.

After coming close a few times, the three-time champions took the lead through Semi Ajayi.

The ball was recycled following a corner-kick, before Alex Iwobi crossed it into the area for Ajayi to head home.

Tanzania equalized after Charles M’Mombwa found himself unmarked inside the area.

But two minutes later, Nigeria struck the winner through Lookman, who took a few touches and finished with his left foot.

Sports

JUST IN: Dembélé Named FIFA Best Men’s Player, Bonmatí Wins Women’s Award

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2025

Editor

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé has been awarded the FIFA Best Men’s Player for 2025, following a season in which he contributed significantly to both his club and the France national team.

Dembélé, known for his pace, creativity, and goal-scoring ability, played a central role in Paris Saint-Germain’s campaigns across domestic and European competitions. His performances for the national team also helped France secure notable results in international fixtures.

Speaking on the recognition, Dembélé said, “It is a great honour to receive this award. I could not have achieved this without my teammates at PSG and in the national team, whose support has been invaluable.”

In the women’s category, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was named FIFA Best Women’s Player for 2025. Bonmatí was influential in Barcelona’s domestic and European campaigns, providing leadership, vision, and creativity in midfield. She also played a key role in Spain’s international successes.

“This award reflects the hard work of my teammates and coaches,” Bonmatí said. “I am grateful for their guidance and support throughout the season.”

The announcements reaffirm FIFA’s recognition of individual excellence in football while highlighting the contributions of players to both club and country.

Sports

Court Fixes Date To Hear Sala Compensation Dispute

Published

2 weeks ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

A commercial court examining the long-running dispute between Cardiff City and French club Nantes over compensation for the death of Emiliano Sala in a plane crash said Monday it would give its decision on March 30 next year.

Sala, a 28-year-old Argentine striker, died when the light aircraft taking him to the Welsh capital came down in the English Channel on January 21, 2019, two days after he had signed for the then-Premier League side. He and pilot David Ibbotson were killed.

The Welsh club took the case to the Nantes commercial court in 2023 to claim compensation for loss of income and other damages suffered by the club as a result of the player’s death.

Following an analysis conducted by an expert appointed by Cardiff City, the club estimated their losses at over 120 million euros ($139.5 million). Lawyers for both clubs made their cases at Monday’s hearing.

The Welsh club argue that Nantes, through their intermediary, agent Willie McKay, were the organisers of the private flight on which the footballer was travelling and that, if the transfer was effective at the time of the accident according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it is the organisation of this flight that is at issue.

Cardiff City’s lawyer, Olivier Loizon, told the court Monday, Willie McKay “could not have been unaware of the illegality of the flight”, and argued that the agent had acted with “negligence”.

“Whatever the ultimate cause of the accident, (Sala) should not have been on the flight,” he added.

Nantes’ lawyer, Jerome Marsaudon, insisted Monday the only agent authorised by the club in connection with the transfer was Mark McKay, the son of Willie McKay.

The elder McKay “was simply helping his son, given his extensive experience”, the lawyer said.

“It is sad to see that Cardiff have exploited this tragedy and turned it into a genuine legal farce,” he added. “Nothing in this case justifies holding FC Nantes liable.”

Prior to the start of the hearing, a Nantes representative said the club “have no doubt that Cardiff’s claims will be rejected outright, just like all the others”.

In another case related to the dispute between the two clubs, CAS ruled in 2022 that Sala’s transfer had definitely been finalised at the time of his death.

In 2023, world football’s governing body FIFA ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes the balance of Sala’s transfer fee, which at the time amounted to just over 11 million euros out of a total of 17 million euros.