By our staff reporter
Manchester City clinched an unforgettable treble as they triumphed over Inter Milan 1-0 to claim their maiden UEFA Champions League title.
Although clear favourites on paper, Pep Guardiola’s English Premier League champions struggled to assert their dominance for much of the match at the Ataturk Stadium. However, they once again exhibited their resilience by securing a hard-fought victory, following their recent FA Cup success against Manchester United.
The momentous win brought an end to City’s long-standing pursuit of Europe’s most prestigious club trophy. However, the Cityzens initially found it challenging to impose their usual authoritative style on the Italians during the first half. Erling Haaland came closest to breaking the deadlock, but his best effort could not beat Andre Onana, in between the sticks for Inter.
Guardiola’s frustration was compounded when the influential Kevin de Bruyne, who had already suffered an injury in a previous UCL final, was forced to withdraw from the action due to a suspected hamstring issue.
The second half mirrored the struggles of the first, with Lautaro Martinez threatening for Inter Milan. However, City’s midfielder Rodri became the unexpected hero, breaking the deadlock in the 68th minute with a beautifully guided strike into the corner of the net. Federico Dimarco had an opportunity to equalise just moments later for the Nerazzurri, but his looping header struck the crossbar, with his teammate Romelu Lukaku inadvertently blocking the follow-up.
Despite late pressure from Simone Inzaghi’s men, Ederson’s remarkable save from Lukaku ensured that City held on to their slender lead and secured their first European silverware since 1970.
