- Manchester City can match rival Manchester United's historic 1999 treble.
- Manchester City aiming to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time.
- Showcase for Erling Haaland as the new premier soccer star in Europe.
Manchester City is chasing history in Saturday's UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan.
In addition to seeking its first Champions League trophy, Man City is vying for the rarely accomplished treble: Winning the Premier League title, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season. Not since 1999 had an English team accomplished that feat, when Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United squad secured all three prestigious trophies.
Pep Guardiola has Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final for the second time in three years, having lost the 2021 final 1-0 to Premier League rival Chelsea. This time, Man City enters the final as heavy favorites against an unexpected opponent, Inter Milan.
An opportunity also has presented itself to Man City record-setting goal-scorer Erling Haaland. With Cristiano Ronaldo now playing in Saudi Arabia and Lionel Messi taking his talents to South Beach, Saturday's Champions League final could be a statement showcase for Haaland as European soccer's biggest star. Only French star Kylian Mbappé (who plays for Paris Saint-Germain) and Brazilian Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) appear to be challengers to Haaland for that newly vacated throne.
Here's what you need to know for Saturday:
How can I watch the UEFA Champions League final?
The final is set for a 3 p.m. ET start. CBS will air the UEFA Champions League final, with streaming available on Paramount+. The Spanish-language broadcast is available on Univision/TUDN. A "UEFA Champions League Today" pregame show will air on CBS starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. The match also will be available onfuboTV.
Where is the UEFA Champions League final being played?
The match will be played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. The stadium also hosted the epic 2005 UEFA Champions League final, in which Liverpool rallied from three goals down to win in a penalty kick shootout against AC Milan.
What are the odds for Manchester City vs. Inter Milan?
According to Tipico Sportsbook, Manchester City is a favorite to win the UEFA Champions League final, with the moneyline at Manchester City (-220), Inter Milan (+600), 90-minute draw (+380).
Manchester City: What to know
2022-23 season: Manchester City won the Premier League title for a third consecutive season, finishing five points ahead of second-place Arsenal. In addition, Man City defeated rival Manchester United 2-1 in the final of the FA Cup, England's domestic club competition.
Manager: Pep Guardiola. Guardiola has led Man City to five Premier League titles, and has won the UEFA Champions League twice before as manager of FC Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.
Leading goal scorer: Erling Haaland. In his first season at Manchester City, Haaland has scored 52 goals in all competitions during the 2022-23 campaign and tallied a Premier League-record 36 goals this season. Haaland had 12 goals in 10 appearances in UEFA Champions League play this season.
Other notable players: Goalkeeper Ederson (national team: Brazil), forward Jack Grealish (England), midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (national team: Belgium), midfielder Ilkay Gündogan (Germany), midfielder Bernardo Silva (Portugal), midfielder Rodri (Spain), defender Nathan Aké (Netherlands).
How Manchester City advanced to final: After winning its group, Man City defeated back-to-back German clubs in RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively. Manchester City then routed defending UEFA Champions League winner Real Madrid in the semifinal by an aggregate score of 5-1.
Inter Milan: What to know
2022-23 season: Inter Milan finished third in Serie A, 18 points behind champion Napoli and two points behind second-place Lazio. Inter Milan won the Coppa Italia ― Italy's domestic club competition ― defeating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final.
Manager: Simone Inzaghi. Inzaghi has led Inter Milan to back-to-back Italian Cups in 2022 and 2023 in his two seasons at the helm.
Leading goal scorer: Lautaro Martínez. Martínez ― who was a member of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning team ― scored 21 goals in Serie A play and 28 goals in all competitions.
Other notable players: Forward Romelu Lukaku (national team: Belgium), forward Edin Džeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina), midfielder Nicolò Barella (Italy), defender Alessandro Bastoni (Italy), goalkeeper André Onana (Cameroon).
How Inter Milan advanced to final: After finishing second to eventual German Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich in the group stage, Inter defeated two Portuguese clubs ― Porto and Benfica ― in the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals, respectively. Inter defeated rival AC Milan in the semifinal to reach its first Champions League final since 2010.
Who are recent UEFA Champions League finals winners?
- 2021-22: Real Madrid (Spain) over Liverpool (England), 1-0
- 2020-21: Chelsea (England) over Manchester City (England), 1-0
- 2019-20: Bayern Munich (Germany) over Paris Saint-Germain (France), 1-0
- 2018-19: Liverpool (England) over Tottenham Hotspur (England), 2-0
- 2017-18: Real Madrid (Spain) over Liverpool (England), 3-1
- 2016-17: Real Madrid (Spain) over Juventus (Italy), 4-1
- 2015-16: Real Madrid (Spain) over Atletico Madrid (Spain), 1-1 (Real Madrid won penalty shootout, 5-3)
- 2014-15: Barcelona (Spain) over Juventus (Italy), 3-1
- 2013-14: Real Madrid (Spain) over Atletico Madrid (Spain), 4-1
- 2012-13: Bayern Munich (Germany) over Borussia Dortmund (Germany), 2-1
- 2011-12: Chelsea (England) over Bayern Munich (Germany), 1-1 (Chelsea won penalty shootout, 4-3)
- 2010-11: Barcelona (Spain) over Manchester United (England), 3-1
- 2009-10: Inter Milan (Italy) over Bayern Munich (Germany), 2-0
- 2008-09: Barcelona (Spain) over Manchester United (England), 3-1
- 2007-08: Manchester United (England) over Chelsea (England), 1-1 (Manchester United won penalty shootout, 6-5)
- 2006-07: AC Milan (Italy) over Liverpool (England), 2-1
- 2005-06: Barcelona (Spain) over Arsenal (England), 2-1
- 2004-05: Liverpool (England) over AC Milan (Italy), 3-3 (Liverpool won penalty shootout, 3-2)
- 2003-04: Porto (Portugal) over AS Monaco (France), 3-0
- 2002-03: AC Milan (Italy) over Juventus (Italy), 0-0 (AC Milan won penalty shootout, 3-2
- 2001-02: Real Madrid (Spain) over Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), 2-1
- 2000-01: Bayern Munich (Germany) over Valencia (Spain), 1-1 (Bayern Munich won penalty shootout, 5-4)
- 1999-2000: Real Madrid (Spain) over Valencia (Spain), 3-0
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