RODRI, arguably the most unsung hero of Manchester City’s extraordinary season for the ages, scored the goal that settled a nervy Champions League Final and delivered Pep Guardiola his ultimate prize.
It also guaranteed City the first treble in English football history since Manchester United achieved it in 1999, of course.
But Guardiola and his club’s Abu Dhabi owners have made no secret of their yearning to capture European football’s ultimate prize and here, in Istanbul, the legendary coach finally delivered, winning his third Champions League title a dozen years after his last.
They did so without Kevin De Bruyne, off injured after barely a half-hour, and with prolific striker Erling Haaland barely enjoying a sight of goal.
But, with owner Sheikh Mansour watching City in person, for just the second time since he bought the club in 2008, Rodri was the man for the occasion.
He struck a superb 16-yard finish on 68 minutes, after an incisive Manuel Akanji pass allowed Bernardo Silva to pull the ball back from the by-line for his midfield team-mate.
The goal came on Rodri’s 56th appearance of the season for Guardiola, an indication of just how important the defensive midfielder has been to City’s treble success.
Manchester City’s Rodri celebrates scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League final match at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul.Manchester City’s Rodri celebrates scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League final match at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul.Indeed, only one player in Guardiola’s managerial career has played more games in a single season than Rodri’s 56 – the 57 appearances Lionel Messi made for him in Barcelona in 2012.
There was a moment of amazing drama, with just two minutes left, when Robin Gosens headed into the area where fellow sub Romelu Lukaka saw a five-yard header somehow saved on the goalline by Ederson and his outstretched leg.
And deep in injury-time, Ederson did it again whe he punched a Gosens header off the line with the last touch of the season.
But, as might have been expected given the high-stakes in play at the Ataturk Stadium, this was far from a classic performance from City, and certainly not a memorable European final.
City struggled to find their free-flowing, devil-may-care style of football that has swept all before them at home, and in Europe, this season and they were not helped by the loss of De Bruyne after just over half an hour.
The Belgian playmaker went down, clutching his hamstring, and battled on for five minutes before bowing to the inevitable and limping off to be replaced by Phil Foden.
It was the second time De Bruyne has suffered Champions League Final heartbreak of this kind, having been subbed due to injury in the loss to Chelsea two years ago.
And his loss threatened to be as damaging pyschologically as it was in football terms.
De Bruyne had already carved out City’s, and the game’s, only real chance of the first half, when he slipped a pass through for Haaland just before his exit.
The striker unleashed a powerful enough shot but it was too close to keeper Andre Onana who stuck out a hand to make an impressive save.
It was the only chance a well-disciplined and aggressive Inter side allowed City in the opening hour-plus, as they stifled the Premier League champions in impressive fashion.
And the frustration was getting to City, with Ederson misplacing a couple of passes out of his area, including one which Nicola Barella hit first-time, well wide of the open net from over 25yards.
It was a rare threat on the City goal, with Inter content to try and lure their opponents into a mistake and while it was a tactic from manager Simone Inzaghi which his team executed superbly, it hardly made for an open or memorable Final.
