The wait for the UEFA Champions League Final is almost over!

Manchester City and Inter will meet in the 2023 UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium

Manchester City:

For the tenth consecutive season, City have wasted no time in securing their spot in the knockout stage. 

In the first leg of the last-16 match against Leipzig, City displayed a subdued performance. But in the return leg, Haaland broke records by scoring five goals and then added two more in a resounding victory against Bayern in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, City showed their strength as they comfortably defeated holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate, with goals coming from different players. Overall, City's performance was as impressive as ever.

While Haaland's influence is undeniable with his tally of 51 goals this season, De Bruyne continues to be a talismanic presence on the field. He consistently provides a steady stream of opportunities for the unstoppable Norwegian. In this campaign, the 31-year-old midfielder has assisted in 28 goals across all competitions, which happens to be his highest number in a single season for the club. Moreover, De Bruyne has a knack for performing exceptionally well on significant occasions, as evidenced by 11 out of his 14 Champions League goals for City being scored during the knockout stages.

Haaland achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the youngest player to reach 35 Champions League goals, accomplishing this at the age of 22 years and 272 days. What makes his achievement even more impressive is the fact that he achieved this milestone in just 27 games, making him the fastest player to reach that mark in the history of the tournament.

Source - UEFA.co.uk

Inter Milan

Despite facing challenges in maintaining consistency in Serie A, Inter have displayed a consistent level of performance in the Champions League. They successfully advanced from a formidable group that included Bayern and Barcelona, and have now made it to the final after eliminating Porto, Benfica, and Milan along the way. Throughout the knockout stages, they have delivered six strong performances, impressively keeping five clean sheets. Their well-deserved 3-0 aggregate victory over their city rivals further solidifies their exceptional performance in the competition.

The tactical setup adopted by the team is a 3-5-2 formation, which emphasizes the role of wing-backs, specifically Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco, in providing coverage across the entire flank. Among the three midfielders, one assumes the role of a deep-lying playmaker, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu has now become the preferred choice over Marcelo Brozović for this position. The remaining two midfielders, Nicolò Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, take charge of pressing the opponents and providing support to the attackers.

When it comes to the attacking partnership, Edin Džeko and Romelu Lukaku take turns to partner with Lautaro Martínez, resulting in a highly effective combination. This situation presents a pleasant dilemma for Simone Inzaghi as he makes his decisions in Istanbul.

'The Bull,' Martínez concluded the 2021/22 season with an impressive tally of 25 goals in 49 appearances across various competitions. This achievement marked his most successful goal haul since joining Milan from Racing Club in 2018. Notably, he formed a prolific partnership with Lukaku, who made a comeback from Chelsea but had limited playing time in the first half of the season due to injury. The duo exhibited excellent synergy, showcased notably in Martínez's decisive winning goal against Milan in the second leg of a match.

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