UCL Final – Tips and Previews
Manchester City vs. Internazionale
5am, Sunday
The most prestigious prize in club football is up for grabs on Sunday morning, with Manchester City and Inter Milan going head-to-head in the UEFA Champions League final at Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.
The money has certainly come for City since their 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in the second leg of their semi-final, and they’ll enter this clash as $1.42 favourites with Bet Nation.
It’s just the second time the current Premier League champions and FA Cup winners will play for UCL honours after going down to Chelsea 1-0 in 2020-21. This season feels different, however, with Pep Guardiola’s talented side dispatching Bayern Munich and Real en route to the final.
Erling Haaland has been the main destroyer for City throughout the qualifying stages and is clearly the main concern for Inter, leading the competition with 12 goals from 10 matches. Kevin De Bruyne ranks first for assists with seven, while Bernardo Silva, Mahrez and Alvarez have each contributed three goals.
On the other side of the ledger, Inter will be playing for their fourth Champions League title after most recently defeating Bayern 2-0 under Jose Mourinho 13 years ago.
While they’ve not been as dominant on the scoreboard as their opponents, the Coppa Italia winners have gone about their business with victories over AC Milan and Benfica during the quarters and semis. They’ve adapted to each opponent exceptionally well and allowed the likes of Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martínez to finish off.
Adding to the intrigue of the final is the fact that it will be the first time these two sides have ever met in competition.
The time seems right for City to break their duck and for Guardiola to join the elite group of three-time winners.
