In a thrilling match held in Istanbul on Saturday night, Manchester City emerged as the victors of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) with a 1-0 triumph over Inter Milan. The highly coveted trophy, the pinnacle of European club football, was secured by City thanks to Rodri’s goal in the second half.
The game saw City with the first opportunity as Bernardo Silva narrowly missed the far post with a curling shot. Andre Onana, Inter’s goalkeeper, made crucial saves from Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne as City intensified the pressure midway through the first half. However, De Bruyne had to be substituted due to injury, and both teams entered halftime without finding the back of the net.
Shortly before the hour mark, Inter had a golden opportunity due to a lapse in City’s concentration, but Lautaro Martinez opted for individual glory, and his shot was saved by Ederson. City seized their chance when a deflected cross fell to Rodri, who calmly placed his shot into the bottom corner, giving his team the lead in the 68th minute.
Federico Dimarco came close to pulling Inter back into the game with a looping header, but it struck the crossbar, and Romelu Lukaku’s rebound was blocked. Lukaku had another shot saved as the Italian side mounted a spirited comeback. In the closing stages, he saw a header cleared off the line. Nevertheless, Manchester City held on to secure a hard-fought victory.
This triumph marks an elusive milestone for City, a trophy missing from their cabinet since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008. It is the third UCL title for their manager, Pep Guardiola, with his previous victories coming while he was in charge of Barcelona in 2009 and 2011. With this achievement, Manchester City has completed a treble of trophies this season, matching the feat accomplished by Manchester United in 1999, having already clinched the English Premier League and the FA Cup.
