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Tag: Inter Milan

  • UCL Final: Inter Milan versus Manchester City, match preview, analysis

    UCL Final: Inter Milan versus Manchester City, match preview, analysis

    The international club football competition in Europe,  the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the season 2022/23 season will today come to an interesting end in Istanbul, Turkey with Italian giants Inter Milan with three UCL titles in their kitty squaring up against English Champions Manchester City who are gunning for their first ever title in the UCL.

     

    How Inter Milan Qualified

    They qualified from a strong group including Bayern and Barcelona and have now reached the final after eliminating Porto, Benfica and Milan. They have put in six solid knockout stage performances, keeping five clean sheets in the process, and more than merited their 3-0 aggregate victory over their city rivals.

    They have now reached the final after eliminating Porto, Benfica and neighbour AC Milan.

    The Nerazzurri have often lost against lower-ranked teams in Serie A, but have always performed against the top sides. The game in Istanbul will be one of the biggest in the club’s history.

    How Manchester City Qualified

    Man City was allotted in Group G in the UCL 2022-23 draw and paired alongside Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Copenhagen.

    Among the six matches played, City won four and played out a goalless draw in two against Copenhagen and Dortmund, respectively. It scored 14 goals in the group stages and conceded just two on its way to qualifying for the knockout stages.

    City defeated German oppositions Lipzig and and Bayern Munich  in the second round and quarter-final respectively before defeating Real Madrid in the semi-final 5-1 om aggregate.

    Current Form of both sides

    Inter Milan finished 3rd on the scudetto table but the Nerrazurri only lost one game in their last twelve in all competitions.

    However, Manchester City were crowned champions of England they however had mixed results in their last 10 games drawing and losing some. Although they ensured they won the important ones including the final of the FA cup where they defeated Manchester United 2-1 at Wembley.

    Record Equaling Treble If…….

    Manchester City will emulate Manchester United’s 1999 treble if they beat Inter Milan in Saturday’s Champions League final but it would take something truly extraordinary to match the spine-tingling way Alex Ferguson’s side made history 24 years ago.

    Key Battles upfront

    Monster striker Haaland gives City a whole new dimension of attacking threat and if Inter are to have any chance of stopping Pep Guardiola’s team, they need to stay right on top of the Norwegian.

    Inter have been without former captain and star centre-back Milan Skriniar, who is off to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, for months due to a back injury and in theory there should be no match between Haaland and Acerbi.

    Veteran Italy international Acerbi has been a capable replacement for Skriniar but he has not had to deal with this sort of striker, who will top the Champions League scoring charts for the second time in his career aged just 22.

    The difficulty of Acerbi’s task was summed up by a young fan outside Inter’s training ground who gave the 35-year-old a fishing net with which to try and catch Haaland.

    Lukaku and Martinez for Inter Milan

    Both players have hit top form of late with scoring goals aplenty for the Inter Milan side. They are fit and ready to capitalize on loose ball and defensive error.

    City’s Ikay Gundogan and Kelvin DeBruyne

    These power midfieders have been in great form all through the season.Their job is to rip open any defence to create chances or sometimes score. They have been powerful instrument in the hands of City and nightmare to opposition midfielders and defenders.

    Andre Onana versus Ederson

    Inter Milan parade topnotch Cameroonian goalie who has carved a niche for hinself this particular season. His heroics and shot stopping abilities is one of the reasons they are in the final.

    Brazillian goalie Ederson has also beeb doing fantastically well for City. His reflexes ability to deal with aerial  balls and defense coordination is top notch.

     

    Battle of great coaches Inzaghi vs Guardiola

    Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi has prepared for tonight’s Champions League final clash with Man City on both a tactical and a psychological level.

    In order to carry out his tactical vision, Inzaghi knows how important psychology will be.

    The Inter coach is stressing confidence and an upbeat attitude. He does not want his players to feel too much pressure.

    Moreover, Inzaghi is looking to put out an aggressive team.

    Pep Guardiola on the other hand is counting on Tactical play most especially offensive football. He’s banking on De Bruyne for supplies and Goal poacher, Haaland for the goals.

    According to the Spaniard  his secret to success is having world-class players like De Bruyne and  Erling Haaland in his team.

    Inter Milan versus Manchester City Kick-offs  at 9pm

     

  • UCL Final: Guardiola heaps praises on Inter Milan goalie, Andre Onana

    UCL Final: Guardiola heaps praises on Inter Milan goalie, Andre Onana

    Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola has singled out Cameroon and Inter Milan goalkeeper, Andre Onana,  saying that he’s one of the best in the World.

    City has been tipped as favourite to win this year’s Champions League trophy but Guardiola insists Inter Milan are also a title contender.

    Onana has kept eight clean sheets in 12 Champions League games this season.

    This includes five defensive shut-outs in their six knock-out stage matches.

    “They are a team with a lot of history, they have done really well with the shape, it’s not just how good they defend.

    “It’s how good they are in transitions and linking with the strikers. They have a real good process, starting from [Andre] Onana, an exceptional goalkeeper in the build-up – one of the best in the world right now,” Guardiola told a press conference.

  • UCL: Gosens tips Inter Milan to beat Manchester City

    UCL: Gosens tips Inter Milan to beat Manchester City

    Inter Milan left-back Robin Gosens has tipped his clubside to defeat Manchester City in the Champions League final on June 10 in Istanbul Turkey.

    Inter Milan will slug it out for the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League trophy.

    Inter Milan defeated neighbour AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate to reach the final for the first time in 13 years, while City defeated Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate to have a chance to play in the final in Turkey.

    Speaking with Sky Sports Italia via Football Italia ahead of the encounter, the 28-year-old said:

    “We are all proud, but also aware we earned this opportunity on the pitch. We are going there to win. Anything can happen in football.

    “We deserved our place in that final; we know it will be a struggle, but we have what it takes to beat Manchester City.”

  • UCL: Manchester City thrash Real Madrid 4-0, set up final with Inter Milan

    UCL: Manchester City thrash Real Madrid 4-0, set up final with Inter Milan

    Manchester City breezed into the UEFA champions League final after demolishing Real Madrid by 4-0 at the Etihad on Wednesday night.

    Galaticos were outclassed by a City team who look like they finally understand how to win in this competition and demolished their opponents at Etihad.

    A tense first leg was paired with a blow out as Man City dominated proceedings from minute one. Madrid were well off the pace, and critics may finally be right in calling for an “end of an era” for some of their ageing stars.

    Bernardo Silva fired in two first half goals to put the Citizens ahead,  an own goal from Militao and a cool finish from substitute Alvarez in the second half of the encounter decided the game.

    The result means that  Man City will play in the second Champions League final in their history.

    They will be playing Inter Milan on the 10th of June in Istanbul Turkey.

     

     

  • UCL: We prefer to play an inexperienced Manchester City – Inter Vice president, Zanetti

    UCL: We prefer to play an inexperienced Manchester City – Inter Vice president, Zanetti

     

    Javier Zanetti the vice president of Inter Milan has noted that his team would prefer an inexperienced side to reach the final of this year’s Champions League.

    Zanneti added that Inter Milan would prefer to play Manchester City in the final owing to their inexperience in the competition.

    According to him, Madrid have got so much experience that they hardly lose the final of the competition.

    The Milan-based club defeated their city neighbours AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate to book a place in the final and now awaits the winner between Real Madrid and Manchester City.

    The first leg of the semi final ended 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in Spain and Zanetti admitted that his side would rather play the English Premier League leaders in the final than Real Madrid.

    Zanetti said he is keen for City to progress because of Madrid’s history in the competition.

    Zanetti told reporters after Inter’s 1-0 win over AC Milan.

    “Now we wait for tomorrow to discover the opponent but it’s already a lot to have arrived at this moment.

    “I would like to avoid Real Madrid because this competition seems made for Real Madrid.

    “But now it counts just being there. A derby in the semi final is very tough, I experienced it as a defeated player,” he said.

  • UCL: Martinez fires Inter Milan into Champions League final, beat AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate

    UCL: Martinez fires Inter Milan into Champions League final, beat AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate

    Inter Milan reached its first UEFA Champions League Final for the first time since 2010 when they last won the trophy under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho.

    After firing blanks in the first half of the encounter, Inter Milan got the much-needed assurance goal to push the game beyond the limit of neighbours AC Milan.

    The first leg ended 2-0 in the favour of Inter Milan at San Siro.

    In the 78th minute of the encounter, Romelu Lukaku holds the ball and sends a quick pass to Martinez who wasted no time slotting the ball past goalkeeper, Mike Maignan.

    Inter Milan have been the  better side over both legs and have reached the UCL final first time in 13 years.

    They now await the winner of mthe tie between Manchester City and Real Madrid on Wednesday night at the Etihad.

     

     

  • UCL: Inter Milan shock neighbour AC Milan 2-0 at San Siro

    UCL: Inter Milan shock neighbour AC Milan 2-0 at San Siro

    Italian giant Inter Milan have put one leg in the final of this year’s UEFA Champions League final after beating neighbour AC Milan 2-0 away from home in the first leg of the UCL Semi-final encounter.

    Edin Dzeko scored a beautiful volley as early as 8th minute in the clash witnessed by 80,000 fans at the San Siro international stadium.

    The goal silenced the Milan fans – the designated home side for this tie in the stadium the two sides share – as they significantly outnumbered the Inter supporters.

    The home fans kept more silent when three minutes later, Henrikh Mkhitaryan lashed on to a pass from Federico Dimarco  and sent a shot that beat French goal Keeper, Mike Maignan for the second goal.

    Hakan Calhanoglu hit the woodwork as Inter threatened to get a third, but there was hope for AC Milan when referee Jesus Gil Manzano reversed a decision to award the visitors a penalty, deeming Lautaro Martinez to have dived after consulting the pitchside monitor.

    AC Milan came knocking for goals in the second half of the encounter, but the visitors did enough to soak the pressure and protect their two goal advantage in the fiesty encounter.

    However, forward, came close to scoring when Sandro Tonali struck the post with a shot from the edge of the box.

    Although both teams share same stadium (San Siro) where the game was played it’s assumed by UEFA that AC Milan played first at home, While the reverse fixture will be played at the same venue Inter Milan have been adjudged the home team.

  • Inzaghi, Lukaku major Inter Milan problems – Cassano

    Inzaghi, Lukaku major Inter Milan problems – Cassano

    Former Italy striker Antonio Cassano remains unconvinced by Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi.

    Cassano insists only winning the Champions League should see Inzaghi keep hold of his job.

    He told Bobo TV: “The coach is giving the right tips, but Inter don’t miss the decisive matches. I like Simone Inzaghi, but he doesn’t satisfy the work he’s doing, it’s not enough.

    “Yes, he won two trophies in his first year, but last year he didn’t do well in the league and this year he is -20 from Napoli. It’s an eternity… The Champions League? It can save the coach’s season, but only by winning it.

    “If you get there in the final, you were favourites having met Porto, Benfica and Milan. But if you don’t win, the season isn’t enough. ”

    “(Romelu) Lukaku? If he is (Antonio) Conte’s, he opens the world to Lautaro (Martinez). Not this Lukaku, I prefer (Edin) Dzeko who has been working as almost a 10.

    “If Lukaku goes back to being Conte’s, he becomes another mechanism, but I still see him cumbersome.”

  • Lukaku will return to Chelsea, but… – Inter Milan chief

    Lukaku will return to Chelsea, but… – Inter Milan chief

    Inter Milan GM Beppe Marotta has opened the door to extending the stay of Romelu Lukaku.

    The striker is on a straight loan from Chelsea.

    Marotta said: “Lukaku is in love with this club and city, so these are important elements to consider, but the player does not belong to us. He is on loan, he will return to Chelsae on June 30 and we will all evaluate the situation together.

    “It is important to note that he is a great professional, he has a great sense of belonging and these are key elements that go alongside the technical and sporting considerations.”

    Marotta also stated: “The economic planning, based on sustainability, is not just about increasing revenue by going forward in the Champions League and Coppa Italia. Italian football in general is struggling financially, so this will at best cut down the losses we will suffer by the end of the season. We can only look at the sporting merit and boost received from those results.”

  • ‘I could have given much more’ – Balotelli admits career regrets

    ‘I could have given much more’ – Balotelli admits career regrets

    Italian striker Mario Balotelli has admitted career regrets.

    Now with Sion, Balotelli passed through European giants like Inter Milan, AC Milan, Liverpool and Manchester City.

    Speaking on the Muschio Selvaggio podcast, Balotelli reflected on whether he had reached his potential.

    He said, “My character helped me but it also penalised me. But I didn’t ever think, maybe I would have made different decisions, situations that have happened and that I could have avoided. There would have been something different.

    “So much wasted talent? Up to a certain point, I have won everything. I don’t know what is wasted.

    “I didn’t win the Euros or the World Cup. I’m sorry because I could have given much more, if I look at my career I think I didn’t do so badly but I certainly could have done more and it’s a regret.

    “My agent, who sadly no longer exists (Mino Raiola), always said that (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi had so many Ballon d’Ors because I was playing at 20% of my chances, because if I had played at 100%, I would have had them.

    “It seems like a big sentence, but knowing me it’s true, if I went back I would change that right away.”