Inter ended in the Champions League final – 2022/2023 unexpectedly. Before the start of the tournament, in the summer of 2022, the Milanese were placed at the end of the top 10 favorites (along with Atlético). Rival “Inter” in the next final – “Manchester City” – cited much higher. Pundits, bookies and fans initially called the “Citizens” the main contender for the trophy. Now Inter will have to fight for victory in the Champions League with the club after the treble. What can the Italian team “City” oppose?
Nobody believes in Inter: this is an advantage for the Club
The first factor that can play for Inter is the total disbelief in the team. “Nerazzurri” is not considered the favorite of the couple. But is it bad? That won’t make Inter play worse, but it saved my nerves before the decisive match. The weight of responsibility does not weigh on them, reaching the final is already a party for the team and the fans. If they win, they will become heroes; if they lose, no one will destroy them.
But City is the opposite. The team was already considered the main favorite in the Champions League, and then there was a relatively simple opponent in the final. In addition, the team won the Premier League and the FA Cup: the fans demand a treble, like Manchester United in 1999. The players and Josep Guardiola are under enormous pressure. Losing = losing a unique opportunity to go down in history, not being able to bring the first Champions League to the club, making jokes about the losing Pep again. Inter will definitely go into the game calmer than the opponent.
In the Milanese victory in the 2009/2010 Champions League, the club found itself on its way to Guardiola’s formidable Barcelona. It seemed that Inter could not beat the Catalans. But they knew how to do it, beat Pep. And Mourinho gave a great date, suitable for the final that is coming up. And it was these words that Di Marco repeated before the game.
Jose Mourinho
former Inter coach
“Winning the Champions League is our dream. And for Barcelona it is an obsession. That is the difference.”
Inzaghi’s side are on a roll towards the end of the season
In late winter – early spring, Inter stagnated in Serie A, and the management seriously thought about changing Simone Inzaghi (from the end of February to mid-February there were only two wins in 11 matches). The Milanese crunched in the semifinals of the Champions League (they defeated Porto in the 1/8 final, Benfica in the quarterfinals), and then they also beat Juventus in the Italian Cup semifinals. Since then, Inter has made a great move – the team began to win again consistently. The Nerazzurri achieved seven wins in eight rounds in Serie A (losing only to Napoli), and at the same time, without a chance, eliminated Milan in the Champions League semifinals. They also took the Italian Cup, being stronger than Fiorentina.
Inter reaches the Champions League final in top form. The best game of the season is demonstrated by Lautaro Martínez and Romelu Lukaku. Yes, City are amazing and they also had a terrible run towards the end of the season. But Inter will definitely not be afraid of a formidable opponent and will at least be able to recover.
Inter celebrates the victory over AC Milan in the Champions League
Photo: Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Inzaghi’s statistics in the finals
Simone Inzaghi’s playing career was not stellar, but he ended up with the most powerful Lazio. Together with the Eagles, the former striker won six of the six cup finals (three Italian Cups, two Italian Super Cups and the UEFA Super Cup). After completing his playing career, Simone began training. In 2016 he took charge of Lazio. And he won three cups with the club. The Romans took the Italian Super Cup – 2017 and 2019, as well as the Italian Cup – 2018/2019. Then Inzaghi went to Inter and has already managed to win four trophies with the club: two Super Cups and the Italian Cup. Total: 13 cup victories. Incredible stats! Inzaghi’s teams are great in the playoffs. A powerful factor in favor of Inter.
Past meetings between Inzaghi and Guardiola:
Inzaghi had two unforgettable meetings with Guardiola. The Italian won more times than he lost
Inter knows exactly what they have to do in the final
Manchester City shows incredible football. In the second leg semi-final of the Champions League they crushed Real Madrid, in the Premier League in the championship game they defeated Arsenal, on a bad day they found a way to beat United in the FA Cup final. Guardiola is almost invulnerable, but probably the most studied in detail in Europe. Yes, Pep likes to cheat, make adjustments for each opponent, but the general principles are known. Inzaghi understands how Inter must play to maximize their chances of winning.
In the final, the Milanese are unlikely to come up to pressure City and take the ball from them. Inter’s task is to play perfectly in defense, not to give space to Haaland, De Bruyne and Gundogan and to maximize the chances on counterattacks. Fortunately, Lautaro and Lukaku are in very good shape. And if Guardiola starts cheating with the team, then it is not a fact that this will end well for City.
“The game will be very difficult. We are not favourites, but that is what makes football so beautiful. We played against one of the best teams in the world. The coach of this team is well known to everyone, but we will try to prepare as best we can. We are not going to change our approach to the game. During the match there will be segments where we need to attack more actively and segments where we need to play well on defense. We still have time to prepare and we take into account every little thing, ”Inzaghi notes before the game.
Arrigo Sacchi
italian coach
“There is no winning scheme to beat an opponent. You just need to have strong motivation and a high team spirit. Inter, who are very good at counter-attacking, should focus on these weapons and scare the English with these accelerations so that they too get a little scared and can’t play the way they want.
Croatian footballer for Inter
This, of course, is not so serious, but actually, since the 2012/2013 season, a Croatian football player has certainly been playing in the Champions League winner. Here is the full list:
2013: Mario Mandzukic, Bayern 2014: Luka Modric, Real Madrid 2015: Iván Rakitic, Barcelona 2016: Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, Real Madrid 2017: Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, Real Madrid 2018: Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, Real Madrid 2019 : Dejan Lovren, Liverpool 2020: Iván Perisic, Bayern 2021: Mateo Kovacic, Chelsea; 2022: Luka Modric, Real Madrid.
City don’t have Croats, but Inter have Marcelo Brozovic. Although the “citizens” in the summer can change the situation. According to insider Fabrizio Romano, City are in talks with Mateo Kovacic to move from Chelsea. But so far, a significant advantage of the Croats is on the side of Inter.
marcelo brozovic
Photo: Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images
“City” under all factors remains the favorite of the meeting. More evidence can be found in its favor. But Inter is definitely not worth writing off before the game. We are looking forward to a great night in Istanbul.
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