Manchester City won their first-ever Champions League thanks to a 1-0 win over Inter Milan on Saturday night.
It was a nervy final in Istanbul with City far off their best, but they found a decisive goal from Rodri in the second period, and survived two massive misses from Inter in the latter stages.
It was Bernardo Silva who created the first chance of the night when he slinked into the box and curled a shot over the bar, but it was Inter who started better in the Turkish capital. Despite that, Simeone Inzaghi’s men failed to create any real chances of note, with Marcelo Brozovic trying his luck from distance, as did Nicolo Barella on 26 minutes, after he fastened onto a loose pass from Ederson, although his effort failed to hit the target with the City keeper off his line.
The Blues created two rare chances around the half-hour mark, with Rodri sliding the ball into Erling Haaland, but the prolific Norwegian’s strike was straight at Andre Onana, while Kevin De Bruyne saw a shot saved soon after. That was the midfielder’s last involvement on the night as he was forced to come off with what seemed to be a hamstring injury. City fashioned one more opportunity before the break, with Manuel Akanji firing just over the bar from distance.
It was a slow start after the break, with neither side creating a shooting chance early on. On 58 minutes, Ederson was forced into a smart save when he kept out an effort from Lautaro Martinez after Akanji allowed the ball to roll back towards the City goal, and the keeper flew out to narrow the angle.
Ruben Dias then headed over, not long before City grabbed the breakthrough goal. Akanji’s pass played in Silva inside the box and his pass back deflected back into the path of the onrushing Rodri at the edge of the box. The Spaniard coolly slotted his shot around two covering Inter players and beyond Onana, to score the biggest goal in the club’s history.
Inter nearly grabbed an equaliser almost immediately when the ball bounced kindly for Federico Dimarco inside the box, but his header crashed off the crossbar before the follow-up incredibly hit Romelu Lukaku almost on the line. The on-loan Chelsea striker smashed a shot on 73 minutes that was saved by Ederson.
City pushed to find a second, as Phil Foden controlled the ball and advanced, but his shot from close range was hit straight down the throat of Onana.
In the 88th minute, Lukaku looked certain to score from a Robin Gosens cross yet, incredibly, from just a few yards out, the forward headed the ball straight at Ederson. The Belgian also dragged a shot wide soon after and, in injury-time Barella fired off target from the edge of the box.
In the final moment of the game, Ederson had to make another save from an Alessandro Bastoni header as City held on, on a historic night in the Champions League as the team claimed a first European crown and the treble. Here’s how we rated the City players...
1. Ederson- 8
Recovered from a nervous start to make three excellent saves in the second half that secured a European crown.
2. Manuel Akanji- 7
The centre-back defended well but nearly gave away a terrible goal around the hour mark. Akanji played a huge part in the City goal.
3. Ruben Dias- 8
City’s best player on the night and he defended excellently. Dias timed his tackles well and won some important headers.
4. Nathan Ake- 6
Gave little away defensively, but the Dutchman offered little going forward.