Ruben Dias vows not to repeat 2021 Man City Champions League final mistake with team in ‘sweet spot’

Ruben Dias has insisted Manchester City will not struggle with the weight of pressure and expectation in Saturday’s Champions Cup final.

City are the heavy favourites ahead of the clash with Inter Milan, as they were in the 2021 final against Chelsea. However, on that occasion Pep Guardiola’s side somewhat wilted in the spotlight and struggled to play with their usual fluidity and dominance.

However, Dias, who played 90 minutes two years ago in Porto, said City have been in their ‘sweet spot’ since February and won’t struggle with the expectations placed upon them.

“We love the pressure. For a long time the pressure has been on and we love it,” said the Portugal international. “Pressure, in the right measure, will make you run faster, jump higher and be more focused and in the end that is what these kind of games need.

“You have to embrace it like we do and do your thing, never forget to be yourself. But, mostly we enjoy the moment and we know what it means to us, our fans and our families, and we never forget to enjoy it.

“In these final moments which everything gets decided but for a long time, since February, March, when the decisions come up, it’s the sweet spot,” he added. “You can see the character of a team when you arrive in these stages and you can see how much your team wants to move forward or if your team starts hiding.

“Since that moment, we have seen our team face, our team has shown up every time. It’s another game, it’s another time for all of us to step up to the occasion and all of us want to be there and do it. We’ll be there.”