The biggest club competition of the year is finally here. The final of the 2023 UEFA Champions League will take place on Saturday heavy favorites Manchester City kick-off against Inter in Istanbul. While The great move of Lionel Messi from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami may have been the center of attention in the run-up, it’s time for the game on the pitch to take center stage again. City goes for the first European crown in what is their second final appearance after losing to Chelsea in the 2021 final Inter are back in the final for the first time since 2010, looking to win it for a fourth time in what will be their sixth outing. While City could be expected to get this far, few thought Inter had a chance of even getting out of their group. being in the position of underdog which they won’t mind at all.
“It was a dream for us, but we always believed in it. I’m proud to be here,” said Inter boss Simone Inzaghi ahead of the game. “No one gave us anything, we deserve everything we have achieved. And now the dream of playing the final has come true. It was an extraordinary path and winning a derby in the semi-final brought special satisfaction.”
City manager Pep Guardiola knows no UCL final will ever be easy. If you’re facing an Italian club, you’re up against a team that always puts the emphasis on defense first, which means sharpness in attack.
“When you reach the Champions League final, you have to celebrate. To be honest, a final against an Italian team is not always the best gift. Inter are competitive. After this [semifinal] victory, there will be a lot of compliments, but we have time to prepare mentally,” said Guardiola. Miss our breakdown of Guardiola’s previous attempts to clinch his third career Champions League title.
Here’s everything you need to know:
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How to watch and opportunities
- Date: Saturday 10 June | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Place: Atatürk Olympic Stadium — Istanbul, Turkey
- TV: CBS| Live stream: Paramount+
- Chances: Manchester City-225; Draw +350; Inter +575 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
TV Guide
12 noon: Morning Footy – UCL Edition (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
1.30pm: UEFA Champions League Today Pre-Match Show (CBS/Paramount+)
3 p.m.: Manchester City vs. Inter Milan (CBS/Paramount+)
5.30pm: UEFA Champions League Today Post-Match Show (CBS/Paramount+)
6:30 p.m.: The Champions Club (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
Team news
The teams enter this game surprisingly healthy with the status of City full-back Kyle Walker being the main concern. He missed practice on Tuesday with a back problem, but attributed it to “just getting old.”
By our James Benge:
Kyle Walker has moved to allay concerns about his injury status ahead of the Champions League final. Walker was substituted in the closing stages of the FA Cup final at Manchester United on Saturday and City’s hopes of completing a treble would no doubt be aided by having the England international at his disposal.
“He has problems with his back,” Pep Guardiola said at a press conference on Tuesday. “Yesterday he wasn’t good, today he was a little better, but we didn’t want to take any chances. We’ll see what happens in the next few days.”
Projected XI
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Ruben Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gundoğan, Grealish; Haaland
Inter Milan: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Dzeko
UCL latest record
City
Balance: 0-1
Last Appearance: Chelsea 1, City 0 (2021)
below
Balance: 3-2
Last Appearance: Inter 2, Bayern Munich 0 (2010)
Duty crew
Referee
Szymon Marciniak (POL)
Assistant referees
– Pawel Sokolnicki (POL)
– Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)
Fourth official
– István Kovacs (ROU)
VAR
– Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
What you need to know about the ref
Marciniak is a well-known official and widely regarded as one of the better referees of his generation. He’s been making a lot of noise lately, but it wasn’t always for the best reasons. He captained the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France where he awarded three penalties in the match as the South Americans, led by Lionel Messi, won the title on penalties over Kylian Mbappé and company.
He averages about 3.86 yellow cards per game and 0.29 red cards per game in this edition of the UCL.
Ahead of the final, he found himself in hot water after appearing at an event organized by far-right Polish politician Slawomir Mentzen and apologized, stating that he was unaware of the event’s affiliation.
More from Benge:
Szymon Marciniak will retain his role as referee of the Champions League final after apologizing for appearing at an event organized by a far-right politician in Poland. Marciniak will be in charge of the match between Manchester City and Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10, but there were calls to replace him. The 42-year-old attended Everest’s business conference on May 29, an event hosted by Slawomir Mentzen, but has “deeply apologized for my involvement and any distress or injury it may have caused”.
Prediction
Guardiola finally pulls it off in Manchester and leads City to victory in the UCL final by the narrowest of margins as Haaland scores the winner. Choose: City 2, Inter 1
