Manchester City will be aiming to complete just the second treble in English football history when they take on Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul today evening.
Pep Guardiola has completed a domestic double this season, retaining the Premier League title and winning the FA Cup. In contrast, Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan finished third in Serie A—18 points behind champions Napoli.
Man City smashed holders Real Madrid 5-1 over two legs in the semi-finals to advance to the final, while the Nerazzurri bagged the local bragging rights with a 3-0 aggregate win over AC Milan. Both teams have enough quality to take the game to the opposition and make the 2022-23 Champions League final a treat to watch for the fans.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the three key player battles that could decide who lifts the Champions League trophy in Istanbul.
#Kevin de Bruyne vs Marcelo Brozovic
Kevin de Bruyne has been in sublime form of late and will be in charge of unlocking Inter Milan’s well-drilled defence. He has nine goals and 18 assists in all competitions this season, and the Belgian playmaker will be one of many attacking weapons for Inzaghi’s side to worry about here.
One of the best players in the world over the last four to five seasons, De Bruyne’s telepathic understanding with Erling Haaland could cause Inter’s defence a lot of problems. Stopping De Bruyne will be key and there is no one better in Inter colours than Marcelo Brozovic to do that job.
Starting as the deepest of Inter’s midfield trio, Brozovic will be tasked with keeping a close watch on De Bruyne, and if the Croat can keep him on his heels, the Italian side can cut a major supply source to City’s attack. Thus, this could be one of the intriguing battles that determines the outcome of the Champions League final.
#Jack Grealish vs Denzel Dumfries
Jack Grealish has been in sensational form for Man City this season. He has tormented opposition defences down the left flank exclusively for the Sky Blues. The England international’s ability to dribble past players combined with his exquisite body balance and close control make him one of the most intimidating attackers in the Premier League.
Grealish will likely go up against Denzel Dumfries, who has played a vital role in helping Inter reach the Champions League final. Operating as a right wing-back, Dumfries’ attacking stats speak for themselves, with the Dutchman registering two goals and seven assists in all competitions this term. However, there are question marks over his defensive abilities, and that is something Grealish will look to exploit.
Dumfries likes to venture forward and supply crosses in the box and Grealish likes to cut in from his left and create openings in the final third—so it will be interesting to watch who manages to pin his opponent back for most of the game.
#Erling Haaland vs Inter’s centre-backs
Erling Haaland could not score a goal in the FA Cup final against United and would be etching to get himself on the scoresheet to add to his mammoth tally of 52 goals for the season.
In a City side firing all cylinders, Haaland will once again be the main threat for Guardiola’s men. He is easily the most feared striker in Europe right now, so Inzaghi must come up with a special plan to stop the Norwegian goal-machine.
Mateo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni are expected to form Inter’s three-man backline and they will have to be switched on from minute one until the last to keep a hungry Haaland at bay in Istanbul.