'Underdogs Inter' await Manchester City or Madrid in Champions League final
Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi admitted on Wednesday his side will be the underdogs in next month's Champions League final in Istanbul against Manchester City or Real Madrid.
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The two powerhouses play at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Wednesday night in the second leg of their semi-final.
They drew 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on 9 May in Madrid. Belgium international Kevin de Bruyne cancelled out Vinicius Junior's opener for the hosts with a spectacular long range effort.
“They are two huge clubs with immense quality,” Inzaghi said ahead of the game. “It will be a very open match.
"I believe that Inter and AC Milan played a great semi-final with two hard-fought intense games. Maybe against Madrid or City in the final ... Inter are not the favourites."
Inter secured a place in the Champions League final for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2010 with a 3-0 aggregate victory over their city rivals.
Madrid, who claimed the 2022 crown with a 1-0 win over Liverpool, will be attempting to prevent Manchester City from reaching the final for a second time in three years.
Advance
In 2021, they lost to Chelsea. In the wake of the defeat, the City boss Pep Guardiola was accused of making unnecessary tactical changes which destabilised his team.
On the eve of the second leg, Guardiola quipped he was not overthinking his options.
"We have to perform well," he added. "All we have to do is what we have done.
"In the minds and hearts of the players, they have to make an incredible performance to beat Madrid.
"Football has things you can’t control," Guardiola added.
"I want my players to be themselves. This is my only wish for my players."
Both Guardiola and the Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti are among only seven men who have won the Champions League or the European Cup – its initial incarnation – as a player and as a coach.
Success
Guardiola, 52, claimed the European Cup in 1992 with Barcelona and he led the club to two Champions League crowns in 2009 and 2011.
Ancelotti, 63, hoisted the European Cup while in the AC Milan midfield in 1989 and 1990. He steered the side to triumphs in 2003 and 2007.
Last year's win with Madrid over Liverpool came eight years after guiding the Spaniards past Atletico Madrid to lift European club football's most prestigious trophy for the 10th time.
“The match will be unpredictable,” said Ancelotti on the eve of the clash in Manchester.
“If you think you are the best team in the world it doesn’t mean you are 100 percent going to win.
“It’s not just quality when you reach the semi-finals, it’s also about the personality, character and mentality that you are able to show."
“Bravery and courage are vital," Ancelotti added. "Individual quality can’t be shown if you aren’t brave enough to try things.”
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