Below are some of the talking points as Man City takes on Inter tonight.
Don’t panic
Pep Guardiola spoke about the care that Manchester City need against Inter, particularly while the game remains goalless. His team cannot afford to think that they are losing the longer it remains 0-0, he said, while Italian teams can often think they are winning with that scoreline.
Inter will certainly be delighted the longer they can keep City and Erling Haaland out, tempting Guardiola to tinker or one of his players to do something out of character. When the Blues see red or let their frustration show, things usually do not go well for them.
Impatience from either the team or the manager could be the biggest issue City have. The squad feel they are more comfortable now under pressure when they are unable to play their natural game, yet finals do funny things to people.
Haaland due a goal
It has been an interesting quirk that City’s strongest performances towards the end of this season have not seen Haaland on the scoresheet as often, and he comes into this game with one goal in his last seven games
Special moment for Gundogan
This may be Ilkay Gundogan’s last game for City and regardless he will be hoping to end on a high. A Treble will be a phenomenal achievement for all concerned but there is more at stake for Gundogan: he has lost two Champions League finals before and will be skippering the side out in the country of his parents’ birth where he still feels deeply connected.
Whatever comes afterwards, it will be an especially memorable night for Gundogan.
Will the fans listen to Guardiola?
It was a bold call on the eve of the final for the City manager to come out and say that the supporters would not boo the Champions League anthem. Not only does the booing predate Guardiola’s time at the club but, as the 1894 Supporter Club expressed recently, they are able to separate their feelings towards the Champions League with their feelings towards UEFA.
Some City supporters responded to Guardiola’s comments by saying they would still boo the anthem, but it will be interesting to see how many of the 20,000 Blues inside the stadium do when the music is boomed out.
