Lautaro Martinez may not have shone at the World Cup like some of his Argentina team-mates but his influence for his club this season has been clearManchester City v Inter: Three key battles
JOHN STONES v LAUTARO MARTINEZ
If Erling Haaland is likely to dominate Inter Milan’s thought’s ahead of Saturday night’s final, Pep Guardiola and his backroom staff will have been paying particular attention to one of the other forwards on the pitch at the Ataturk Olympic Final.
Lautaro Martinez may not have shone at the World Cup like some of his Argentina team-mates but his influence for his club this season has been clear, and was summed up by his performances in both legs of the semi-final victory over city rivals AC Milan that brought Inter to within one game of the Champions League.
The striker, 25, possesses impressive technical ability while his tally of 28 goals this season confirms his eye for goal. Martinez, though, brings so much more to Inter’s play.
His ability to gel with centre-forwards Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku is key while his determined, aggressive approach to the game make him one of Inter’s leaders and key to their high press. John Stones’s ability to keep Martinez quiet will be key to City hopes but may force the England international to drop deeper in his defensive midfield role.
CITY’S WIDEMEN v INTER’S WING-BACKS
Real Madrid had no answer City’s attacking threat from the flanks as Pep Guardiola’s side booked their place in the final with an exhilarating display in the semi-final second leg. And when a coach as experienced as Carlo Ancelotti is unable to stem the flow, Simone Inzaghi will know he has his work cut out as he attempts to come up up with a plan that will stifle the influence of Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva.
Silva tormented Real left-back Eduardo Camavinga at the Etihad Stadium, capping an oustanding display with two goals, while Jack Grealish gave Dani Carvajal a torrid time on the opposite flank. Both players provide a ready outlet and their ability to pick out the runs of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan allow City to quickly acquire strength in numbers on both sides of the pitch.
Netherlands international Denzel Dumfries will attempt to contain Grealish while Federico Dimarco is expected to find himself head to head with Silva. Unlike Camavinga and Carvajal, however, they can expect more support from their team-mates as they attempt to block two of City’s crucial supply lines.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE v HAKAN CALHANOGLU
It speaks volumes about Ilkay Gundogan’s stunning form during the final stages of the season that the Germany international has eclipsed Kevin De Bruyne as City’s dominant midfielder.
Two goals in the FA Cup final took Gundogan’s tally to six in his last six games but De Bruyne’s influence is still immense while his thrilling strike in the first leg of semi-final at the Bernabeu Stadium provided a reminder of the Belgian’s goal threat. That was De Bruyne’s tenth goal of the season but a more telling statistic is his 31 assists during the campaign, highlighting his importance to his side’s attacking play.
Inter’s priority will be to limit the midfielder’s time on the ball and deny De Bruyne the chance to thread passes through to Erling Haaland and his side’s other forward players. Like De Bruyne, Calhanoglu – who agreed a contract extension this week underlining his importance to Inzaghi’s team – provides a threat from set-pieces while his contribution in a central midfield role will be central to his side’s hopes of pulling off a shock victory.
