After a prolonged pursuit, Manchester City’s ambition to win the Champions League was fulfilled with a resounding 1-0 victory against Inter Milan in Istanbul. Pep Guardiola’s team accomplished the remarkable feat, securing the Treble in the process.Following their victories in the Premier League and FA Cup, Manchester City replicated Manchester United’s historic triple trophy achievement in 1999. With Rodri’s decisive 68th-minute goal in a hard-fought final, City became the second English club to accomplish this remarkable feat. Despite facing a brilliantly organized Inter team and the early injury of Kevin de Bruyne, Guardiola’s dominant side didn’t showcase their best performance. Nevertheless, the ecstatic City fans,
And for Guardiola, it seals his status as one of the managerial greats as he added a third Champions League to the two he won at Barcelona, the last coming in 2011.
This was never the walkover many predicted and City had to survive a few scares when Federico Dimarco’s header bounced off the bar and Ederson made a stunning late save to deny Romelu Lukaku but ultimately this was all about the victory.
The Champions League had brought suffering to City and Guardiola – especially when they lost to Premier League rivals Chelsea in the 2021 final – but all the pain disappeared just before midnight on a sultry night in Istanbul. City survived late anxiety, especially when Inter substitute Lukaku headed straight at Ederson with the goal at his mercy, but there was an explosion of joy on the pitch and in the stands at Ataturk Stadium as they finally secured the giant trophy that has remained so elusively beyond their grasp for so long.
Guardiola said, whether it was fair or not, that his time at Manchester City would be judged on whether he was able to bring the Champions League to the club. Now that judgement can be made.The Catalan, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, will now be an iconic figure at City as well as Barcelona.
