MADRID, 9 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Manchester City and Inter Milan face each other this Saturday (9:00 p.m.) in the Champions League final, which will be held in Istanbul (Turkey), a duel between the total, dominating and precious football that the English propose, given the solidity and the defensive strength of the Italians, two very different paths to continental glory.
The Atatürk Olympic stadium will host one of the most anticipated matches of the season, in which ‘citizens’ and ‘neroazzurri’ will seek to establish themselves as ‘Kings’ of Europe. It will be the fourth final for Pep Guardiola, winner of two Champions Leagues, but never with City, so it will be his great opportunity to get even for the final that he lost in 2021.
And he will do so under the cover of the precious football that ‘his’ City poses almost perfect in the highest continental club competition. In addition to Erling Haaland’s ‘lethal’ weapon, with 12 goals in the Champions League and which adds yet another variant to its wide range of solutions, the English team has many arguments that bring it closer to a trophy that they have never won.
Guardiola’s men are the most dangerous team in the competition, with 42 clear chances generated in the 12 games played before the final, with an average possession of more than 60 percent, but it is far from a sterile domain.
The ‘citizens’ have made a total of 2,334 passes in the last third, almost double that of their rival this Saturday (1,256), causing almost 16 shots per game, compared to the 12.7 averaged by Inter.
City, since Guardiola’s arrival, is a team that dominates all tactical aspects, taking care of the ball, but with a sharp fang and a depth capable of drowning out the rival. In attack, they generate an average of 32 actions in the rival area, to finish off on goal 7.3 times per game, which has allowed them to celebrate 31 goals in the Champions League, 16 percent of their shots.
But one of the hallmarks of Guardiola’s plan is high-intensity pressure after loss, one of the axes of his model, averaging 16.3 steals per game in the rival field in the competition. A job that translates into defensive terms, since they win 56 percent of the duels and have only conceded 5 goals.
On the other hand, Simone Inzaghi has managed to put together a supportive, committed team capable of making the most of its advantages. And these reside in his defensive solidity, as shown by his 8 clean sheets in the 12 games played, although he has conceded a total of 10 goals, double that of the English.
While in attack they do not have outstanding numbers, the Italian team does boast of their effort in defensive tasks, with 114 interceptions from shots from their rivals in the Champions League, compared to only 74 for City. A more direct and pragmatic style that will try to neutralize the dominance and superiority of the English that seem overwhelming, with the ‘Orejona’ as the coveted booty.