City and Inter set to meet in Istanbul Champions League final

 

City and Inter set to meet in Istanbul Champions League final

The European Champions League final is known. On the 10th of June, Manchester City and Inter Milan will decide, in Istanbul, who will keep the cup and dethrone the holder of the trophy, Real Madrid.

Bernardo Silva was in the spotlight this Thursday night, in Manchester City's 4-0 victory over Real Madrid at Ethiad, which puts the English emblem in the Champions League final. The Citizens, who are preparing to become English champions, gave the current holders a ball shower, in the second leg of the semi-finals of the competition. The result wasn't more voluminous only because Courtois took three goals from Haaland.

In the final, Manchester City will measure forces with Inter Milan, which knocked out rival AC Milan (2-0 and 1-0).

After the sleep that was last Tuesday's Inter 1-0 AC Milan, football lovers were looking forward to this duel between the main candidates to win the competition, in what was a kind of anticipated final. The 1-1 at the Bernabéu had left everything open for Ethiad, where there was a curiosity to know if the meringues would again be able to stop this football playing machine, which is Guardiola's team.

For the millionaire Manchester City, this game was seen as the penultimate of the Champions League towards the much-desired title that the club has pursued for almost two decades.

In a repeat of last season's semi-final, Real Madrid was hoping for another triumph (even if it was on penalties) to remain master of the most important European club competition and be able to raise the record to 15 conquests, at a time when won the Spanish King's Cup, but let the Spanish League escape to rival Barcelona.

After the 1-1 in the first leg, Manchester City showed why they are the best team in the world today, with this 4-0 against the European and world champions.

In search of its first Champions League title, Manchester City returns to the final, two seasons after having lost to Chelsea at Estádio do Dragão, facing Inter Milan, three times European champions, in the decisive meeting, scheduled for 10 June , in Istanbul, a venue with a capacity for over 75,000 spectators.

This will be the second Champions League final hosted by the stadium, which hosted the 2004/05 final between Milan and Liverpool, won by the English after a 3-3 draw in regular time and victory on penalties.

The stadium also almost hosted the final of the 2020/21 season, but, with the worsening situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, the decision was transferred to Estádio do Dragão, in Porto, Portugal.

The 2022/23 champion will earn 20 million euros (close to one thousand, three hundred and sixty-seven million Meticais), while the runner-up will pocket 15.5 million euros (almost one billion, six hundred million Meticais).

HOW DID THE CITY AND INTER CAMPAIGNS GO SO FAR HERE AT CHAMPIONS?

In the group stage, Manchester City was the leader of group G with 14 points from six games, five more than Borussia Dortmund, in second place. In the “eighth”, the English eliminated Leipzig from Germany, followed by Bayern Munich (in the quarters) and Real Madrid (semi-finals).

Inter Milan, on the other hand, was vice-leader of group C with 10 points, 8 behind Bayer Munich, which was the leader. In the round of 16, the Italians went through Porto, followed by Benfica (quarter-finals) and Milan (semi-finals).

In addition to already having a guaranteed place in the group stage of the 2023/24 Champions League, the champion of the current edition will play in the “alternative” Club World Cup in 2024, where the winner of the Champions League qualifies directly for the final, in addition to qualify for the 2025 Club Supermundial.

Before the official start of the 2023/24 season, the Champions League champions will also play in the UEFA Super Cup against the winner of the current edition.

AL AHLY WITH FOOT AND A HALF IN AFRICAN CHAMPIONS FINAL WAITING FOR MAMELODI OR WYDAD

Al Ahly of Egypt is practically qualified for the final of the African Champions League after having defeated Esperance of Tunis, at home, by 3-0, in the first leg of the semi-finals of the African Champions League.

Inspired by an in-form Percy Tau, Al Ahly asserted their dominance over Esperance Tunis at the Stade Olympique de Rades last week on Friday, scoring three goals.

Tau opened the scoring in the eighth minute, having scored again in the 55th and 75th minutes respectively.

Reacting to the victory, Al Ahly coach Marcel Koller warned that, despite the result, the tie is far from over.

“We are very happy to have won 3-0 away from home. However, this does not mean that we are already qualified for the final”, said Koller.

“Nothing is decided yet. We saw it when Liverpool came back from Barcelona with four goals. In addition, Juventus managed to score three times away from home against Real Madrid. We must not imagine that things are decided. We must not underestimate Esperance de Tunis in the second leg and be fully focused because anything is possible in football”, concluded the Al Ahly coach.

In the last five matches played between the two teams in the millionaire competition, Al Ahly managed to add four victories, with Esperance adding one victory.

In the preview of this Friday's game, starting at 21:00 in the Egyptian capital, Hamdi Al-Mudab, from Esperance de Tunis, assured the fans that the team will work hard to obtain a positive result in this and in the next games.

But the outstanding game, with an unpredictable result, will put Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco face-to-face. After the null that prevailed in the first leg, in Casablanca, this Saturday will be painful for both teams.

In Pretoria, Mamelodi will want to win and reach the final to try to add the South African title to the African trophy. But it will clearly not be an easy task and the game will be decided in detail.

The African Champions League final will be played over two legs, on the 4th and 11th of June.