Manchester City have won the Champions League title for the first time by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium, making them the second English team to complete the treble.
Spaniard Rodri struck in the 68th minute on Saturday to see the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners complete a treble of trophies this season.
While it is the first time City have won European football’s biggest club competition, it is the third time Pep Guardiola has lifted the trophy as a coach.
City triumphed despite losing inspirational midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to an injury in the first half.
Erling Haaland, scorer of 52 goals this season, went a fifth straight match without finding the net but City still had enough to edge out opponents who had never been expected to get this far in the first place.
The victory means City finally achieved their ambition of reaching the summit of European football, 15 years after Abu Dhabi’s ruling family transformed it into one of the richest teams in the world.
Owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan was in attendance to see City’s crowning moment. It was only the second time he has watched his team in person in 15 years.
City’s winner came when Rodri collected Bernardo Silva’s cutback and fired through a crowded penalty box.
The relief was unmistakable as he raced towards City’s fans and slid on his knees in celebration.
Romelu Lukaku had the chance to score a late equaliser but headed straight at Ederson from about four metres out.
Inter almost evened the score within minutes of that goal when Federico Dimarco hit the bar from close range.
He then looked like turning in the rebound but saw his shot come back off teammate Lukaku.
It completed a treble for City, making them only the second English club to complete it after Manchester United also won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999.
“Unbelievable night, I’m so happy. Difficult to put into words. I think today we made history,” City captain Ilkat Gundogan told BT Sport.
“It was clear it was going to be difficult for both teams. We weren’t our best in the first half. It was a 50-50 game. One goal made the difference as it often does in finals. We feel very fortunate it was for us.
“We knew everyone was talking about the treble. The pressure was there but I think this team is built to handle pressure in the best possible way.”
Source: Al Jazeera
BDST: 1001 HRS, JUNE 11, 2023
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