The favorite role is clearly distributed. The pressure on Pep Guardiola is particularly great. Other protagonists are also in focus in the premier class final.
English football champions Manchester City and Inter Milan face off in the Champions League final in Istanbul. Inter last won the highest European club trophy in 2010 in the final against FC Bayern Munich. For Manchester City, a win would be the long-awaited first triumph.
Who is favorite on Saturday?
Definitely Manchester City. The star ensemble around the Norwegian force of nature Erling Haaland is ahead of almost all bookmakers and experts, Inter Milan are only given outsider chances. The English champions and FA Cup winners can make the treble of the season perfect with their first triumph in the premier class. Inter, on the other hand, has already won the most important European club competition three times.
Where will the final take place?
At the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. Four months after the severe earthquake in Turkey, the anticipation was “clouded”, as former Bundesliga professional and final ambassador Hamit Altintop told the pay TV channel Sky, “but despite everything: the people here love football and are happy to this event.” The fans were treated to a spectacle at the last Champions League final in Istanbul in 2005: Liverpool FC triumphed on penalties against AC Milan after being 3-0 down at the break.
What does the final mean for Pep Guardiola?
Almost everything. With the championship title and the cup win, the season is already “incredible”, but without the coup in the Champions League something would be missing, Guardiola admitted. With FC Barcelona, the Spaniard has won the premier class twice – thanks to a then outstanding Lionel Messi. After that, however, Guardiola tried in vain to tackle the pot with FC Bayern Munich and Man City. The reproach to the mastermind after important games was often: coached. If the 52-year-old also loses this final with a team that is clearly better on paper, his image as a genius coach will be seriously damaged.
Which players should you pay special attention to?
Especially on Erling Haaland. Man City got him from Borussia Dortmund as the missing piece of the puzzle for the Champions League win last summer. “We don’t have to hide that,” said the 22-year-old. Team-mate Ilkay Gündogan is also the center of attention after his gala performance in the FA Cup final, especially since it could be his last game for the Cityzens. The contract of the German national player expires, there are numerous interested parties. For Turkey international Hakan Calhanoglu, who used to play for Hamburg and Leverkusen, the final in Istanbul is “a dream” and “magical”. According to UEFA, if they win, the Inter playmaker would become Turkey’s first Champions League winner.
Why is the referee the focus?
Szymon Marciniak is considered one of the best in his field, but before the finale the Pole’s performance off the pitch caused a stir. It became public in the media that Marciniak had attended an event hosted by politician Slawomir Mentzen from the right-wing nationalist and Eurosceptic Konfederacja party as a guest speaker. UEFA decided against a replacement because the referee had apologized and assured that he was unaware of the connection to the far-right movement. The pressure on the FIFA referee, who officiated the World Cup final in Qatar between Argentina and France, is likely to be greater than usual.
Where can the game be seen?
The final on Saturday will be broadcast live on free-to-air on ZDF at 9 p.m. Claudia Neumann is scheduled to be the commentator, with ex-world champions Per Mertesacker and Christoph Kramer analyzing the events as experts. The game also runs on the DAZN streaming service. There Uli lever sits at the microphone, ex-national player Michael Ballack appears as an expert.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
