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Champions League final preview: Manchester City vs Inter Milan – where to watch, kick-off time, possible line-ups, form guide

The most highly anticipated fixture on the European football schedule falls on June 10 as Manchester City and Inter Milan meet in the Champions League final at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

Where to watch the Champions League on TV?

Fans in the United Kingdom can watch the Champions League final on BT Sport, while CBS and TUDN have the TV rights in the United States.

If you’re interested in watching the game, check out the Champions League broadcast partners on UEFA’s official website, or find live Champions League streams here.

What do you need to know? 

Manchester City

After securing a third consecutive Premier League title for the first time in the club’s history, Man City’s attention switches towards a first taste of European glory since winning the 1969/70 European Cup Winners’ Cup. 

Following a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in an all-English Champions League final in 2020/21, the Cityzens are odds-on favourites to go one better this year and finally break their duck. 

Manager Pep Guardiola has established Man City as a force to be reckoned with on the domestic front, winning four titles in five years in charge.

However, the most significant club prize in European football has proved elusive for the Spaniard, who’s looking to become only the manager to win the Champions League with two different clubs. 


Guardiola already has two titles under his belt, having won the competition with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, and could join a distinguished club of three-time winners this season. 

If Man City beat rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on June 3, the upcoming Champions League title decider could see the Cityzens become only the second English side to win a coveted treble

Inter Milan

Inter, who have ensured a sixth successive top-four finish in Serie A and booked a Champions League final date for the first time since 2010, stand between Guardiola’s men and that historic feat. 

The three-time European champions have been marginal figures in Europe’s most prestigious club competition since lifting the crown 13 years ago under Jose Mourinho. 

Between the Special One’s success and this season’s progression into the grand final, the Nerazzurri had only reached the Champions League quarter-finals once, failing to make it out of the group stages three times.

Simone Inzaghi, the man responsible for guiding Inter to Istanbul, is bracing himself for his first-ever European final, but he has proved reliable in title-deciding fixtures.

During his managerial stints at Inter and Lazio, he has emerged victorious in all seven finals he’s featured in. 

Possible Starting Line-ups

Manchester City (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake; John Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundoğan, Jack Grealish; Erling Haaland.

Inter (3-5-2): Andre Onana; Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Lautaro Martínez, Romelu Lukaku. 

Form Guide

Manchester City

Complacency has got the better of Man City since pipping Arsenal to the league title, as they’ve gone winless in back-to-back games (D1, L1) after winning 20 of their previous 24 competitive outings (D4).

Form (all competitions, most recent first): LDWWWDWWWW

Where they stand: Premier League champions, FA Cup winners.

Inter Milan

An enthralling 3-2 win over Atalanta in the last Serie A round saw Inter post a tenth victory in 11 matches across all competitions, except for a 3-1 loss to newly-crowned champions Napoli on May 21.

Form (all competitions, most recent first): WWLWWWWWWW

Where they stand: 3rd in Serie A, Coppa Italia winners.

View from the camps

Pep Guardiola, Man City manager: “When you reach the final of the Champions League, you have to celebrate. 

“A final against an Italian team is not always the best gift, honestly. 

“Inter are competitive. After this [semi-final] victory there will be a lot of compliments, but we have time to prepare mentally.”

Simone Inzaghi, Inter head coach: “For us it was a dream, but we have always believed in it. 

“I’m proud to be here. Nobody has given us anything – we deserve everything that we have achieved. 

“And now the dream to play the final has come true. 

“It has been an extraordinary path and winning a derby in the semi-final brought particular satisfaction.”

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