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Writer's pictureAlec Nava / Clutch

Rodri Scores Lone Goal to Clinch Manchester City Treble in First Champions League Title


Manchester City players, along with manager Pep Guardiola (first row at the right) celebrate their Champions League victory, hoisting the UEFA Cup. Photo courtesy of The Associated Press.
 

Manchester City did what only nine other association football clubs did before them: Complete the European treble.

Having previously won the Premier League and the FA Cup, they defeated Inter Milan by a 1-0 score for their first ever Champions League title.

They are the second English club to get all three titles, after Manchester United in 1999. It was a job well done for City manager Pep Guardiola, who has won five Premier Leagues with City ever since arriving to Etihad in 2016.

But the long wait is finally over.

Guardiola got his grandest achievement, and has shown that he is the best manager in European football. He has welcomed the players he has wanted like Erling Haaland, Rodri, İlkay Gündoğan, Rúben Dias, and Ederson.

Ederson especially made two of the biggest saves on Romelu Lukaku and Robin Gosens as Inter was looking for the equalizer, and Rodri, the unsung hero, stepped up when the team needed him the most for the only goal of the game, with a timely kick from the edge of the penalty box.

Guardiola really showed how much he has elevated his team, and that includes guys like John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Kyle Walker.

And while City dominated their opponents in the first three rounds on the way to the Finals, Inter wasn't bending the knee. All of RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid got blasted by City on their path to the Finals.

The Serie A side of things was very disciplined, with Inter manager Simone Inzaghi implementing a tactical plan that frustrated City throughout the match.

Especially in the first half, as Inter was working tirelessly and looking to disrupt the pace that City has been playing at through the first three rounds.

Haaland had some great chances in the first half, but one of his best looks went over the bar, and another was cut off by André Onana from Kevin De Bruyne's pass.

What complicated matters was that De Bruyne was forced out in the 36th minute because of a leg injury, where Phil Foden subbed in his place.

This was the second time De Bruyne was subbed out in a Champions League Final, having exited the Finals two years ago when City lost to Chelsea.

And though Inter was making City fight for the win, Guardiola's squad has found a way through.

But Foden provided the spark that led to Rodri's goal, with the Spanish midfielder firing through a crowded penalty box from Bernardo Silva's cutback in the 68th minute.

But City looked shaky after taking the lead. It might have been their worst performance in months, especially when Inter was coming out trying to tie the game to force extra time, and came close when Federico Dimarco hit the crossbar and his follow up was blocked by his own teammate, Lukaku.

Not to mention a chance by Lautaro Martínez after a miscommunication between Akanji and Ederson when the game was 0-0.

But City pulled through in the end, and Guardiola answered all the questions on whether he can win it all without Lionel Messi back when the two were together in Barcelona as a manager-player duo.

And he is now the first men's coach to win the European treble multiple times, having previously done so in 2009 with Barcelona.


That, along with a happy ending for Haaland, who is the first Premier League Golden Boot winner to also win the Champions League final since Cristiano Ronaldo with Manchester United in 2008, and the first to win the Golden Boot twice before turning 23, joining Messi.

 

Scoring

  • City, 68': Rodri [2], right foot from center of the box to bottom right corner. 1-0 City

Substitutions

  • City, 36': Phil Foden replaces Kevin De Bruyne because of injury.

  • Inter, 57': Romelu Lukaku replaces Edin Džeko because of injury.

  • Inter, 76': Robin Gosens replaces Alessandro Bastoni.

  • Inter, 76': Raoul Bellanova replaces Denzel Dumfries.

  • City, 82': Kyle Walker replaces John Stones because of injury.

  • Inter, 84': Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaces Hakan Çalhanoğlu.

  • Inter, 84': Danilo D'Ambrosio replaces Matteo Darmian.

Disciplinary

  • Inter, 59': Nicolò Barella is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Inter, 83': Romelu Lukaku is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • City, 90'+2': Erling Haaland is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Inter, 90'+2': André Onana is shown the yellow card.

  • City, 90'+4': Ederson is shown the yellow card.

Team Stats

  • Possession: City 56% advantage

  • Shots On Goal: City 7, Inter 14

  • On Target: City 4, Inter 6

  • Fouls: City 11, Inter 17

  • Yellow Cards: City 2, Inter 3

  • Red Cards: City 0, Inter 0

  • Offsides: City 1, Inter 1

  • Corner Kicks: City 2, Inter 4

  • Saves: City 5, Inter 3

Miscellaneous

  • Venue: Atatürk Olympic Stadium

  • Location: Istanbul, Turkey

  • Attendance: 71,412 (Capacity: 74,753)

  • Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

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