Rodri’s second half strike has given Manchester City their first-ever Champions League title, overcoming Inter Milan in a tense final at the Ataturk Stadium in the Turkish capital.
City, coached by former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, went into the game as heavy favorites but struggled to produce their best after injury forced key man Kevin de Bruyne off in the first half.
Aside from a half chance for Erling Haaland in the first half, chances were at a premium in an intriguing contest — until Rodri struck. Manuel Akanji burst forward and found Bernardo Silva, whose cutback was met by Rodri, whose first-time shot found the bottom corner.
Defensive midfielder Rodri has become a man for the big occasion, also scoring a screamer in the quarterfinal against Bayern. The Spaniard came up trumps again here, delivering the game’s only goal.
Inter hit the bar straight after conceding through Federico Dimarco’s header and City keeper Ederson pulled off a key save from Romelu Lukaku’s header in the 89th minute. But that was as close as they came to replicating their Champions League glory of 2010 — this was City’s historic night and Guardiola’s first Champions League title since 2011.
“There were ghosts of the past for some of the guys. I also know very well how it feels to lose this final. Accordingly, I congratulated all our opponents at the end,” Ilkay Gündogan, City’s German captain and two-time Champions League final runner-up, told DAZN.
More to follow.
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