Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour will attend the Champions League final on Saturday evening.

Club sources have confirmed to the PA news agency that the sheikh will be present in Istanbul as City face Inter Milan bidding to win Europe’s top club prize for the first time.

It will only be the second game he has attended since his investment vehicle, the Abu Dhabi United Group, purchased City in 2008.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was also due to be at the showpiece match at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

City have risen to become the dominant force in the English game under Mansour’s stewardship with the club having won seven Premier League titles in the past 12 years and five of the last six.

Victory in Turkey on Saturday would also see them become only the second English side to win the treble having already retained their domestic title and won the FA Cup.

City also now sit at the heart of a global network of 13 clubs known as the City Football Group.

Erling Haaland admits the pressure is on as he prepares for Manchester City’s Champions League date with destiny.

The Premier League winners face Inter Milan on Saturday night bidding to claim the European crown for the first time.

Victory would not only end years of frustration and near-misses in pursuit of the continent’s top club prize but complete a glorious treble.

City’s outstanding season, which has also included winning the FA Cup as well as a fifth domestic league title in six years, has been fuelled by the goals of Haaland.

The prolific Norwegian has scored 52 times in an outstanding first season at the Etihad Stadium and is well aware the club hope he proves the final piece in their jigsaw.

“Of course I feel pressure,” the 22-year-old said. “I would lie if I said I didn’t.

“It’s true – they won the Premier League without me, they won every trophy without me. So I’m here to try to do a thing that the club has never done before and I’ll do my best.”

Winning the Champions League is also the chief reason manager Pep Guardiola was brought to the club.

Victory for him would end a 12-year wait to reclaim the trophy since the second of his two triumphs as Barcelona boss.

“It’s absolutely a dream,” said the Catalan. “What has happened in the past is in the past. It’s an incredible competition.

“Inter Milan is bigger than us in terms of history but what’s important is at 10pm Istanbul time we do the best performance possible and that can make the difference.”

Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who left the field injured in City’s final defeat to Chelsea two years ago, admits winning the competition has become an obsession as well as a dream.

“Maybe it’s both,” said the Belgium international. “Every professional player wants to win the Champions League and be on top.

“If you can win the Champions League, you’ve reached one of the biggest things you can.”

City have a fully-fit squad for the clash at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, which was also the venue for Liverpool’s remarkable victory in 2005.

Nerves and tension are likely to increase in the build-up to the match but defender Ruben Dias feels the team are ready to thrive in such circumstances.

“We love the pressure, we love it,” he said. “The pressure will make you run faster, jump higher, be more focused.

“That’s what these kind of games need and we need to embrace it. It’s another time for all of us to step up to the occasion.”

Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne admit winning the Champions League has become both a dream and an obsession for Manchester City.

City stand on the brink of glory as they prepare to face Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on Saturday.

Guardiola’s side are strong favourites for a game that could not only see them crowned European champions for the first time but complete the treble.

The Premier League winners are hoping to put years of frustration behind them after several near misses in their pursuit of the prize they covet most.

De Bruyne gave his feelings on the matter when he was asked if victory was a “dream” or an “obsession” as City held a pre-match press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Friday.

“Maybe both, it depends who you ask,” said the Belgium playmaker. “Every professional player wants to win the Champions League and be on top.

“If you can win the Champions League, you’ve reached one of the biggest things you can.”

“To compete every year is amazing, and I’ve been able to compete against the best, but we’ve got a chance to close that if we are good enough.”

City have reached the knockout stages of the tournament in each of Guardiola’s seven seasons as manager but they are yet to fulfil their ambition.

Their runners-up finish two seasons ago, when they were beaten by Chelsea in the final, is the closest they have come.

Guardiola, who won the competition twice as Barcelona boss, said: “It’s absolutely a dream, yes.

“To achieve things you always have to have the correct proportion of obsession and desire.

“It’s a positive word for the desire and will to win it. It is of course a dream for us.”

City’s outstanding season has been fuelled by the goalscoring of Erling Haaland.

The prolific Norwegian has netted 52 goals in an outstanding first campaign at the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland admitted this week has was brought to City to win the Champions League and Guardiola – whose two previous successes came in tandem with Lionel Messi at Barcelona – hopes he proves the final piece of the jigsaw.

Asked what he would advise managers hoping to emulate his achievements, Guardiola said: “Have good players – have Messi, have Haaland. This is my success. I’m not joking.

“Every manager who has had success has had strong institutions and exceptional players. I’ve never scored a goal as a manager.”

Haaland actually goes into the game having scored just once in his last seven outings but this is not a concern for Guardiola.

“I don’t have doubts,” he said. “If you have doubts about Erling scoring you are a very lonely person.

“Tomorrow he will be ready to help us win the Champions League.”

Haaland has formed a potent attacking partnership with De Bruyne.

De Bruyne was cheekily asked at the press conference if it had been “love at first sight” between the pair.

De Bruyne said: “No. I’m happy with my wife!”

Elaborating more, he added: “You have a feeling with a player and I understand what he wants. It clicked really well. He’s scored at an incredible rate and settled really easily.”

De Bruyne has been chasing Champions League success with City since 2015.

He said: “We have been consistent, we have been good enough, but we need to find a way to win the first one. It would be immense for the club and the fans, something amazing.”

Ruben Dias is confident Manchester City will thrive on the pressure in the Champions League final.

The City defender has no doubt his team-mates will step up to the challenge as they face Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday.

City have already claimed the domestic double after an outstanding late-season charge and they now stand just one win away from becoming European champions for the first time.

Dias said: “We love the pressure, we love it. The pressure will make you run faster, jump higher, be more focused.

“That’s what these kind of games need and we need to embrace it. We enjoy the moment and we know what it means to our club, the fans, our families and we never forget to enjoy it.”

After an inconsistent spell either side of the World Cup, City hit form in the spring to reel in Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and retain their title.

They then powered through to the Champions League final with stunning victories over Bayern Munich and holders Real Madrid.

After beating rivals Manchester United to win the FA Cup last weekend, momentum seems very much to be on their side.

Dias said: “I’ve been saying this for a long time – when we get to February and the decisions come up, that’s the sweet spot.

“You can see the character of a team when you arrive on these stages, you can see whether a team wants to move forward or starts hiding.

“Since that moment we’ve been showing up every time and tomorrow will be no different. It’s another time for all of us to step up to the occasion.”

Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne admit winning the Champions League is both a dream and an obsession for Manchester City.

City are bidding to win the competition for the first time, and complete the treble, as they face Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on Saturday.

Guardiola’s side have dominated the domestic scene in recent years but repeatedly fallen short chasing Europe’s top prize, the one the club covets most highly.

City playmaker De Bruyne and manager Guardiola both spoke at a pre-match press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Friday.

De Bruyne was asked first if he felt victory was a “dream” or an “obsession”.

The Belgium international said: “Maybe both. It depends who you ask. Every professional player wants to win the Champions League and be on top.

“If you can win the Champions League, you’ve reached one of the biggest things you can.”

Guardiola was in agreement when asked the same question.

The Catalan, who guided Barcelona to victory in the competition twice, has taken City into the knockout stages seven times but their runner-up finish in 2021 is the closest they have come to success.

“Absolutely it’s a dream,” he said. “To achieve things you have to have correct portion of obsession and desire, it’s a positive word, and willingness to try to do it, but of course it’s a dream.”

Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is determined to seize the moment as he looks to follow up his World Cup triumph with Champions League success.

The Italian side take on favourites Manchester City for Europe’s top prize in Istanbul on Saturday and Martinez is hoping to round off a memorable campaign that also saw him help Argentina to international success in December.

Martinez said at a press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium: “These are the two major finals a footballer can play.

“It has certainly been a very positive season for me. I am pleased with how it has gone and how I have done. Now we hope to finish off in the best possible way.

“If you want to achieve your goal this is the very last step and we must be ready to take it. It will be a very important game for everyone at Inter and the club.”

Saturday’s match will see Martinez come up against his Argentina team-mate Julian Alvarez, with whom he shared glory in Qatar.

Martinez said: “I have not been in contact with Julian. I got married recently and invited him but he was unable to attend.”

Inter, who finished third in Serie A, are rated as the underdogs against a City side bidding to complete a treble.

Coach Simeone Inzaghi said: “After reaching the final we didn’t have time to think about it as we still had games to play.

“Only now are we realising what we have achieved but we are not relaxed. We are concentrating very much and we will fight for every inch of the pitch against an excellent team.

“We must be fully focused and make no mistakes.”

Stopping the prolific Erling Haaland, who has scored 52 goals for City this season, will be key to Inter’s hopes.

Inzaghi said: “We know who we have to play. We know Manchester City are probably the best in the world. They have proved that, they have been defeated very few times.

“We know what a player Haaland is. Clearly we will have a special eye on him.

“I have prepared something but it will be all of Inter that have to defend, trying to limit not only Haaland but all of City.”

Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, the Turkey international, hopes to have the locals in the crowd on his side even though City captain Ilkay Gundogan also has a proud Turkish heritage.

Calhanoglu said: “I think it will be a very special game for me. It is special for a Turk to play in Istanbul.

“I want to enjoy this moment and I don’t know if I will play another final. We will give it our very best shot.

“I know Turks will support me. Gundogan is on the other team but he plays for Germany, so for our people it is perhaps more important I win. That is my dream.”

Former Manchester United forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan has returned to training for Inter after a thigh injury but remains a doubt.

Inzaghi said: “We have a positive feeling but he is not 100 per cent. I will have to decide whether to field him from the beginning or send him on during the match.”

Erling Haaland has brushed off concerns about his form ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday.

Haaland has scored 52 goals in an astonishing first season for Manchester City but grabbed only one in his last seven appearances.

Coming just prior to one of the biggest games in City’s history, as they take on Inter Milan in Istanbul for Europe’s top prize, it is a run that has raised eyebrows.

Yet Haaland insists there is nothing to worry about and he is not feeling the effects of a long and arduous season.

“You can think of it as one goal in seven games or 52 goals in 52 games and eight assists,” said the Norway striker. “You can think of it in both ways. I’m not stressed. I feel really good.”

Haaland has had no trouble dismissing critics this season.

Prior to his arrival at City last summer there were claims he would need time to settle, suggestions that only increased after he spurned a gilt-edged chance on debut against Liverpool in the Community Shield.

Even after he bounced back in sensational style by scoring 27 goals before the end of December, it was reckoned his presence could be hampering City, as their results at that stage were inconsistent.

“I think often it’s a good thing when people start criticising you,” he said. “I scored every single game and then people started criticising me. That’s what happened basically.

“When people criticise you it’s normally a good thing. It’s just about trying to smile a bit and enjoy life.

“In the Community Shield I missed a couple of big chances. It can happen, it will happen again.

“What can you do? Nothing. We have to focus on the next thing, the next game and that’s what I did. I scored two goals in the next game, so it was still not a bad start.”

Haaland feels he has exceeded his own expectations in his first season at City but still feels he could have done better.

He said: “No, I didn’t expect to score this many goals but, again, I could have scored more.

“I’ve been missing a lot of chances, so I could have scored more. That’s the truth.”

Erling Haaland is well aware he was brought to Manchester City to help them win the Champions League.

City are just one victory away from claiming the prize they covet most but has eluded them time after time with several near misses in recent years.

Haaland has been key to their latest charge to the final, where they face Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday, after a prolific first season at the Etihad Stadium.

The Norwegian has plundered 52 goals in all competitions since City identified him as the potential final piece in their jigsaw last year and paid £51million to recruit him from Borussia Dortmund.

“The Premier League, they won it two times in a row before I came here,” said Haaland. “So they know how to win the Premier League.

“The only thing they miss now is the Champions League. You can think and read between the words and the lines – I have been coming here for a reason.”

Haaland scored a record 36 Premier League goals as he helped City make it three titles in a row. They followed up that success by winning the FA Cup last weekend.

Now City are bidding to join rivals Manchester United in the history books by becoming only the second side to win the treble.

Doing so would see Haaland fulfil a long-held dream of winning the Champions League.

“I have been dreaming and thinking of it my whole life,” said the 22-year-old. “It has been my dream as long as I can remember, so a long time.

“Of course I have been thinking of this. There is one game left we have to perform at our best in. We have been doing it now for so many games in a row. It’s about keeping going.”

Such is Haaland’s love of the Champions League, that he even used to play the competition’s theme music in his car during his younger days.

“Yes, there is a video of me doing that,” he said. “You can search it up. It’s true.”

Haaland feels his game has improved at City under the guidance of Pep Guardiola – someone he describes as a “detail freak” – but is convinced there is more to come.

He said: “I am really enjoying every single day with him, with the intense Pep. I like it.

“I am still young, I can improve a lot and I am at the perfect place to work with the best coach and players in the world.”

Kevin De Bruyne insisted there would be no complacency as Manchester City prepare for Saturday’s Champions League final against Inter Milan.

City are the overwhelming favourites as they look to win the competition for the first time – and complete the treble – in Istanbul.

Inter finished 18 points behind champions Napoli in Serie A this season but De Bruyne is wary of the threat of Simone Inzaghi’s side.

The Belgium playmaker said: “You don’t get to the final of the Champions League without being top.

“I think they won the (cup) double in Italy. They’ve been winning basically every game at the end of the season.

“They have their system, they have their style, they do what they do really, really well and I don’t feel that anybody is going to think that it’s going to be an easy game against Inter. It’s a final so it starts 50-50.”

City have long coveted Champions League glory but endured a number of near misses in recent seasons, the closest being their runners-up finish to Chelsea in 2021.

Their frustrations contrast with their domestic success after, most notably, five Premier League title wins in the past six seasons.

Manager Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that City will need to transfer their home successes onto the European stage to be truly regarded among the great teams.

De Bruyne said: “I’ve been here eight years and it’s been incredible. Could I have come here and thought about the amount of games and trophies we would win in eight years? Probably not.

“In the end we have had a pretty impressive career at City, but it is something we have not won yet and it is something that we want to win. Hopefully it will be Saturday.

“We know how big the moment is but I feel the more relaxed you are as a team, and the team is doing pretty well with that at the moment, you get a better chance.”

De Bruyne has painful memories, literally, of that final loss to Chelsea two years ago after suffering a serious facial injury following a collision in the second half.

He said: “I don’t look at what happened two years ago with bad feelings. You go on, you move on. Ultimately, that’s football.

“Saturday is a great opportunity. It’s been an incredible year already. We can make it even better, but no matter what, it’s been great.”

Manchester City defender John Stones could cap a remarkable turnaround from a virtual outcast to being at the cutting edge of Pep Guardiola’s masterplan with a Champions League victory.

Three years ago the 29-year-old’s future was uncertain. He had made just 24 appearances in the 2019-20 season and the club had spent over £100million on centre-backs Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias.

That summer Guardiola admitted there was a distinct possibility a player lacking confidence could leave and he did not play a minute in seven of the eight opening league games of the next season.

But over the course of three seasons he has turned things around so much he is now seen as an integral part of his manager’s latest tactical tweak, with the current fashion for a defender to play as a midfielder when the side is in possession.

“It was probably one of the hardest times in my career,” said Stones of that period in 2020.

“I literally went back to firstly looking at myself, being super-critical of myself and what I could do better on the football pitch, and then looking into every fine detail, down to what food, what training, what extras.

“That’s come down to doing stuff here and then going home and doing work, even late at night, or straight after the training, finding these small margins, putting them all together to kind of break where I was at after coming back to playing.

“Yeah, (it was a) big learning curve for me and maybe who I am today.”

In that time period a number of players have left, with Guardiola’s propensity for dispensing with full-backs a little too close for comfort at times for Stones.

But the former Everton defender never considered seeking opportunities elsewhere.

“I never thought about that. I think as soon as you accept that or have that mindset then you have killed yourself,” he added.

“I always wanted to stay, I have stayed and I absolutely love it. I wanted to prove to myself. I didn’t say to anyone ‘It was because I want to prove to you’.

“I think, if anything, you have to prove to yourself first and foremost that you deserve to be here, you are good enough to be here, and what you bring to the team.”

The goals of Erling Haaland have helped propel City to a second Champions League final in three years where they start as strong favourites against Inter Milan in Istanbul.

But Stones’ role and that, to a lesser extent, of Rico Lewis in stepping forward has added another dimension to an already multi-layered team.

“People have always said from a young age that they can see me playing in there. I still do love playing as a centre-half and I’ve absolutely loved this role as well,” said the Barnsley-born defender.

“I think I have showed myself that I’m able to do it, maybe showing some attributes that I didn’t know that I had.

“But the manager has seen (something) in me and ultimately I think I’m just trying to show what I can do in there and be able to help the team ultimately win with my attributes.”

City may be the favourites but Stones insists they will not be under-estimating Inter, a team who finished in third 18 points behind Serie A champions Napoli.

“They’re in the Champions League final for a reason,” he added.

“No matter who we’re playing, no matter what league they’re in, we give the team the respect that they deserve because even the FA Cup, let’s make an example of that, there’s giant-killers, smaller teams in League One and League Two that beat Premier League winners.

“That’s where the respect (comes from) that every team deserves.

“They’ve got incredible players. How they played in a big occasion, in a derby game in the Champions League semi-final (against AC Milan) is never easy.

“We know what we’re up against, they are an incredible team.”

Manchester City bid for a trophy treble in Saturday’s Champions League final against Inter Milan.

Having seen off Manchester United at Wembley to add the FA Cup to their Premier League title, City can match the feat previously only achieved in English football by their cross-city rivals.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how this season’s City side compares to United’s celebrated 1998-99 group.

Team performance

United lost only three games in their treble-winning season but a remarkable 21 draws in 57 games across the three competitions in question sees City overshadow them in most other statistical categories.

Excluding the League Cup from both teams’ records and with their 57th and final game still to play, Pep Guardiola’s side have 41 wins (73.2 per cent) to United’s 33 (57.9 per cent), 144 goals to 121 and 25 clean sheets to 20.

They have conceded only 39 goals to their predecessors’ 56, scoring an average of 2.57 per game and conceding 0.70 compared to 2.12 against 0.98 for United.

City have also scored four goals or more on 16 occasions, 28.6 per cent of their matches and twice as many as that United side – and they have an unsurprising advantage when the two teams’ top scorers are compared…

Player stats

Erling Haaland’s extraordinary 51-goal contribution to City’s potential treble had no equivalent in a United squad that shared the burden much more equally.

Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole formed a potent front two, Yorke edging his strike partner by 18 league goals to 17 and by 29 to 24 in all competitions.

Super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored 12 league goals despite starting only nine games and 15 in the three competitions with just 14 starts alongside 20 appearances from the bench. Teddy Sheringham was even more sparingly used, but his four goals included the vital equaliser in Barcelona before Solskjaer’s even-later winner.

Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs also hit double figures, with David Beckham on nine.

Haaland won this year’s Premier League Golden Boot with a record 36 goals and will receive the same honour in the Champions League. His 12 goals – including five in a game against RB Leipzig – have him four clear of the pack and no other finalist has more than four.

He has been backed up by fellow summer signing Julian Alvarez with 15 goals in the league, FA Cup and Champions League, the same as Phil Foden, plus 13 from Riyad Mahrez and double figures too for cup final hero Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne.

Eight of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad featured in 50 or more of the 57 games that led to the treble – goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, defenders Gary Neville and Jaap Stam, midfield trio David Beckham, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, and Cole and Yorke up front.

Just Rodri and Bernardo Silva can boast the same figure for City this term as Guardiola’s famed rotation policy and squad depth shows its worth. Haaland and Gundogan have hit 50 in all competitions, as can Jack Grealish if he plays in Saturday’s final.

Manchester City face Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some talking points ahead of the game.

City’s holy grail

Winning the Champions League has been City’s top objective since their takeover by Sheikh Mansour in 2008 and, after a number of near-misses, it now feels tantalisingly within reach. Beating Inter Milan would complete a mission for the club’s hierarchy, as it would for Pep Guardiola, the man they hired to deliver it. Despite City’s near-dominance of the domestic scene in recent years, and the regularity with which they have reached the Champions League’s latter stages, Guardiola has admitted the club need to win it to truly underline their greatness. On a personal level too, Guardiola has been the greatest coach of his generation but it has now been 12 years since the second of his two triumphs with a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona and it is an itch he needs to scratch.

Treble bid

Victory would not only fulfil a long-held ambition for City, but complete a glorious treble, earning them a place in the history books alongside arch-rivals Manchester United as only the second side to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season. United achieved the feat in 1999, at a time when City were fighting for promotion from the third tier. How their fans are enjoying the change in circumstances 24 years on.

Tactics and form

City will head into this game against the side that finished third in Serie A as overwhelming favourites. After an inconsistent spell either side of the World Cup, they hit form in the spring to reel in Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and power into two major finals. Their level of performance has arguably been better than anything they have produced before under Guardiola, with some particularly outstanding displays in key games against the Gunners, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Guardiola has often been accused of overthinking and getting things wrong tactically in the key matches, but there seems little reason to deviate now from what has worked well this season.

No injury worries

City would appear to have a clean bill of health. There were concerns when Kyle Walker did not appear at an open training session on Tuesday, having been substituted late in the FA Cup final on Saturday, but the player allayed any worries, saying he would not miss the Champions League final “for anything”. Guardiola is therefore unlikely to stray much from the side which started against Arsenal and both legs against Madrid, which was: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Akanji, Rodri, Gundogan, Grealish, Silva, De Bruyne, Haaland.

Inter’s plan

Inter will be determined not to make up the numbers but manager Simone Inzaghi probably recognises City are likely to dominate possession, putting his side’s notably tough defence to the test. The Italians will hope to soak up the pressure and catch City on the counter, looking to the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku to take any chances that come their way.

Manchester City face Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday. Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Italian side.

Strengths

Dogged defence

Inter’s progression to this weekend’s showcase at the Ataturk Stadium owes a lot to a stingy defence. Simone Inzaghi’s combative team emerged from a group containing Bayern Munich and Barcelona. They have also kept a tournament-high eight clean sheets in their 12 matches, including five from six in the knockout stages, with goalkeeper Andre Onana a star performer.

Lautaro Martinez

Argentinian World Cup winner Martinez has once again been a potent threat up front for Inter this season. The 25-year-old, who is supported by the experienced pair of former City striker Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku, has been prolific over the past four years. Ahead of the semi-final, he urged his club-mates to harness the unity which led to his country triumphing in Qatar and that could again serve them well.

Underdog status

Inzaghi revealed his remit was to reach the last 16 of the Champions League when he was appointed in the summer of 2021. He satisfied that target last term before exceeding expectations this time around. He knows City will be overwhelming favourites and under greater pressure to deliver, and he has shown he can use such situations to his advantage.

Weaknesses

Inconsistency

Despite their impressive run in Europe, Inter endured a mixed domestic campaign and the Serie A champions of 2021 were unable to keep pace with runaway winners Napoli. Their final position of third place owed a lot to a late-season charge as well as pressure being eased by Juventus’ 10-point penalty. Inzaghi’s men lost a large percentage of their games – 12 of 38 – but benefitted from keeping draws – just three – to a minimum.

Unfamiliar territory

As three-time winners, most recently in 2010, Inter have historical pedigree in Europe but their recent big-game experience on this stage is limited. Since Jose Mourinho carried them to glory 13 years ago, they have progressed beyond the group stage just four times. That contrasts starkly with City’s record. The English club have reached the knockout stages in each of the past 10 seasons and progressed to at least the semi-finals in the last three. They were also finalists in 2021.

Lack of attacking width?

Inzaghi has developed a well-balanced side operating in a 3-5-2 system, bucking modern trends by playing with two strikers. The formation allows the 47-year-old to make the most of his four forwards – Martinez, Lukaku, Joaquin Correa and Dzeko. Yet the reliance on wing-backs alone to provide width in attacking areas can lead to play becoming concentrated in the centre of the pitch and makes it difficult to break down opponents.

Manchester City take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at their route to the Ataturk Stadium.

Group stage (Manchester City 14pts, Borussia Dortmund 9, Sevilla 5, Copenhagen 3)

City dominated Group G to ease into the knockout stages for a 10th consecutive season with two matches to spare. The game that saw them clinch their spot was actually a forgettable goalless draw in Copenhagen in which Sergio Gomez was sent off, but the job had been largely done with victories in their first three games. They opened with a 4-0 victory over Sevilla, came from behind to beat Dortmund 2-1 with Erling Haaland grabbing the late winner against his former club and thrashed the Danes first time round 5-0. They were then held 0-0 in Dortmund but finished off by beating Sevilla 3-1 at home.

Last 16: RB Leipzig (won 8-1 on aggregate)

Pep Guardiola’s side failed to make their dominance count as they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Germans at the Red Bull Arena but any doubts after that game were swiftly put aside in the second leg. City romped to a 7-0 win in the return with the prolific Haaland helping himself to five goals. Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan also got on the scoresheet. Riyad Mahrez scored City’s goal in the first leg before Josko Gvardiol hit back.

Quarter-finals: Bayern Munich (won 4-1 on aggregate)

Haaland made one of many entries into the record books as City all but wrapped up their place in the last four with an impressive 3-0 win over German giants Bayern in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland netted his 45th goal of the campaign – a record for a Premier League player across all competitions – after an earlier Rodri stunner and Bernardo Silva effort. The Norwegian missed a penalty in the return at the Allianz Arena but bounced back to make it 4-0 on aggregate before Bayern finally registered with a late Joshua Kimmich spot-kick.

Semi-finals: Real Madrid (won 5-1 on aggregate)

City produced arguably their greatest performance under Guardiola as they ruthlessly dethroned holders and 14-time champions Madrid to avenge their loss at the same stage last year. They dominated the first leg at the Bernabeu Stadium in terms of possession but were caught by a counter-attack and had to settle for a 1-1 draw as superb strikes from Vinicius Junior and De Bruyne cancelled each other out. They moved up a gear in the second leg and completely overran Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Silva struck twice and Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez also scored in a clinical and resounding display.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson will not change the way he plays for a safer option in the Champions League final.

The Brazil international’s ability with the ball at his feet means he has a key part to play when it comes to the team playing out from the back but when opposition teams press high that style can sometimes lead to greater risk.

But even in a one-off game, where a single mistake can decide the outcome of an entire season’s work, Ederson has no plans to play the percentages against Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday.

“We need to keep playing in the same way that we have been. We can’t change that just because we’re playing in a final,” he said.

“We have to have the personality to play, to have the ball at our feet, to find passes. Of course, making mistakes is part of being a goalkeeper, defender, the whole team.

“We’re all able to make a mistake, whether it comes in the first game of the season or the last, but we have to keep the same personality to play.”

Part of that personality is an ability to remain calm under pressure and not let setbacks derail the game-plan.

Ederson, who finished joint sixth in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Glove – seven behind Manchester United keeper David De Gea’s 17 clean sheets, feels the experience he has gained has given him the tools to cope with every eventuality.

“I think any City keeper needs to be calm, to play with personality,” added Ederson, who at the request of his daughter dyed his hair blue following City’s successful Premier League defence and will do so again if they beat Inter.

 

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“There are a lot of teams that try to pressure us, so you need to be calm, get the ball under control and have the vision to find the right pass.

“I remember a game against Tottenham where I misplaced a pass and it led to a goal. I said to my team-mates after ‘You can still pass to me’, because errors are part of the process.

“Errors help us to grow, we learn a lot from mistakes. I mainly learn from errors. You can learn a lot more from making a mistake than you can from doing things right or from winning.

“So I always try to keep calm, to pass this calmness onto my team-mates as well, so that they know that they can play the ball to me and that I’m calm enough to make the right decision.”