By Smartencyclopedia Newsroom

History has been made in the Champions League. Manchester City, featuring Rúben Dias and Bernardo Silva, clinched their first-ever Champions League title by defeating Italian side Inter 1-0 in the final.

In a match that was not always well-contested in the Turkish city of Istanbul, the goal by Spanish player Rodri secured celebrations for Manchester City against the Italian team Inter, who had been the downfall of FC Porto and Benfica in this edition of the competition.

The Citizens, who entered the final with two titles under their belt, failed to display their trademark champagne football that their fans have become accustomed to, largely due to the tight defensive strategy employed by the Italians from the first minute of the match at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.

Nonetheless, the English champions got off to a better start in the game. In the fifth minute, Bernardo Silva danced with the ball in Inter’s penalty area and created space for a shot, which went over the bar. Haaland then attempted his luck, but Onana showed good reflexes against the Norwegian.

The news worsened for Pep Guardiola when De Bruyne had to be substituted. Similar to what had happened in the previous Champions League final they were in against Chelsea, the Belgian midfielder left this game in Turkey with physical issues.

After a first half with little to talk about, expectations were high for a more lively second half, and Akanji started by bringing some excitement with a chance that could have resulted in a goal for Inter. The Swiss defender lost track of Argentine Lautaro Martínez, but Ederson came to the rescue with a save.

On the other side of the pitch, Manchester City, who had yet to lose in the Champions League this season, responded with a goal. In a play that involved Bernardo Silva’s work on the right, Inter’s defense made a mistake, and the ball eventually reached Rodri, who scored the only goal of the match.

But the Italians’ response was immediate. Almost in the next play, Dimarco headed the ball in the penalty area and hit the crossbar. The Italian defender attempted a rebound, but the ball struck Lukaku, who had come on as a substitute for Dzeko. Right before the final whistle, it was Ederson who secured the victory with an incredible save against a shot from German international Gosens.

Manchester City thus secured their first-ever Champions League title, adding it to their Premier League and FA Cup triumphs, completing a treble that had previously only been achieved by Manchester United in 1998/99.

Starting Lineups

Manchester City: Ederson, Akanji, Rúben Dias, John Stones, Aké, Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Grealish, and Erling Haaland.

Substitutes: Ortega, Carson, Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips, Laporte, Julian Alvarez, Sergio Gomez, Mahrez, Perrone, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis.

Inter: Onana, Dumfries, Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dimarco, Barella, Brozovic, Çalhanoğlu, Lautaro, and Dzeko.

Substitutes: Handanovic, Cordaz, Gagliardini, De Vrij, Gosens, Correa, Asllani, Bellanova, Mkhitaryan, D’Ambrosio, Skriniar, and Lukaku.