Manchester City have claimed their first-ever Champions League title after beating Inter Milan 1-nil at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
After a cagey first half, Pep Guardiola’s side took control of the match in the second half as they camped in Inter Milan’s half forcing the Italians to chase the ball and also defend their lines at the same time.
The only goal of the game came via a sublime strike from the edge of the box by Spanish midfielder Rodri who buried a well-timed volley beyond the reach of Andre Onana.
Inter Milan had the chance to respond immediately as Federico DiMarco heads the ball toward the goal after a scramble in the box eighteen. However, Romelu Lukaku stood in the way of the ball as the ball deflects off his leg which gave City to clear their lines.
Man City continued their assault on Inter Milan’s defense as Phil Foden who came in for injured Kevin De Bruyne fired a low drive toward goal after he found his way beyond a few Inter Milan defenders but his effort was saved by Andre Onana who got down quickly to deny City a two-goal lead with 10 minutes to go.
Inter Milan’s undoing on the night was their failure to convert chances. With a few minutes left to play, Federico DiMarco’s cross from the left flank found Lukaku in space but the Belgian striker directed his header towards Ederson’s leg as Manchester City held on to their lead.
Ederson was called into action late in the game but the Brazilian goalie stood up to the task as he pulled up a dramatic save to deny Robin Gosen’s header from a corner late into extra time.
Manchester City saw out the game as they become champions of Europe for the first time. They also become the second English team to complete the treble (Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup) after Manchester United’s feat in 1999 under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Pep Guardiola also becomes the first coach ever to win the European Treble on multiple occasions. His first-ever treble was in 2009 with Barcelona where he won the La Liga, Copa Del Rey, and Champions League.
