0-0 draws were secured in the reverse fixtures, the latter of which saw plenty of changes made to Guardiola’s usual starting lineup.

Sevilla were swatted to one side with ease in the group stages, both home and away, while Dortmund and Copenhagen were overcome at the Etihad. Manchester City’s run through to Istanbul has been pretty serene truth be told, with Guardiola’s side yet to taste defeat in their 12 outings. One year later, the Citizens avenged that loss with their own 3-0 friendly win in Dublin – during which Dzeko netted against his current club alongside another former Nerazzurri marksman in Mario Balotelli. Incredibly, Saturday’s final will represent the maiden competitive showdown between Man City and Inter in any competition, with the two sides only locking horns in two friendly matches down the years.Ī couple of months on from their 2010 Champions League final triumph, Inter put three past Man City without reply in the Pirelli Cup. The Nerazzurri have proven their street-smarts under the guidance of Simone Inzaghi and have gained a reputation as one of the continent’s fiercest cup teams. To be crowned champions of Europe, City will have to defeat an Inter side who have hugely improved during the second half of this season. Leaving the Estadio do Dragao with their tails tucked between their legs in 2021 thanks to Kai Havertz’s solitary strike for Chelsea, Man City fell victim to the Real Madrid juggernaut in the 2021-22 semi-finals, but revenge was a dish best served with a side of four unanswered goals during their reunion at the same stage this time around. Up until the 2020-21 campaign, Guardiola had never taken Man City beyond the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier competition, and as fans slowly filtered back into the stadiums in the wake of untold COVID-19-related disruption, the perennial Premier League winners have come close, but no cigar.

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