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Champions League: "Historically, Inter is bigger" than Manchester City, says Guardiola

2023-06-09T21:02:15.384Z

Highlights: Manchester City take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday. City coach Pep Guardiola: "The team that plays better for more than 95 minutes wins" Inter coach Ruben Dias: "There is no favourite in the final, no matter what you did to achieve it" City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne: "We know Inter, they are very compact and always play in the same system. We do not expect a very open match, this is often the case in a final"


The Spanish coach of Manchester City takes stock, with several of his players, on the eve of the final of C1 Saturday, in Istanbul, against Inter Milan.


City, cautious favourites

Pep Guardiola (coach): "I watched as many Inter games as possible to try to find out, but in the end it's a football game. The team that plays better for more than 95 minutes wins. Historically, Inter are bigger than us. But that's not important. What is important is that tomorrow (Saturday), at 22 p.m. local time in Istanbul, we achieve the best possible performance.

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Kevin De Bruyne (midfielder): "I think we worked very hard to be at the best possible level. We managed to win a bunch of matches and national trophies. Everyone here knows how we play as a team, how we evolve defensively and offensively. We'll just try to act that way tomorrow (Saturday).

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Ruben Dias (defender): "The biggest mistake you can make is to forget that it's a final. People can say what they want, in my mind and in the mind of the team, there is no favourite in the final, no matter what you did to achieve it. (...) You can see the character of a team in these games, if the players want to advance or start hiding. We like pressure. It makes you run faster, jump higher. We just have to take it into account and enjoy it.

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" READ ALSO Champions League : Inter believes in its chances and wants to "play without fear" against City

The C1, a dream or an obsession?

De Bruyne: "Maybe both. Every professional footballer wants to win the Champions League and be at the top, with his team and individually. When you win the Champions League, you have achieved the greatest thing a player can achieve. (...) For me the seven years at City have been incredible, with a lot of highs. We haven't been able to win the Champions League yet. We were good in this competition, we just have to find a way to win this first one. For the club and the fans, it would be incredible.

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Guardiola: "It's really a dream, absolutely. To achieve things, you have to have the right proportion of obsession, desire. Obsession is a positive word. It's a dream for all of us.

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The failure of 2021

De Bruyne: "We lost two years ago (1-0 against Chelsea on May 29, 2021 in Porto, Editor's note), it happens, we were less good that day. You have to accept it and move forward. Fortunately we have another opportunity to prove that we can win this competition.

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Guardiola: "I'd like to tell you the lessons, but I can't. It's another game, two years later, with different players. Two years ago I tried to produce a good game against Chelsea, it didn't work, people say my choices were bad. I have a plan for tomorrow (Saturday), if we win it will be good. We are ready, the players will give everything, knowing and respecting the opponent.

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See alsoChampions League: why we must not bury Inter Milan

"Don't get nervous too quickly"

Guardiola: "Onana (Inter goalkeeper) is an exceptional goalkeeper. Everything they do, with Bastoni on the left side in particular, is exceptional. We have to try to prevent their connections as much as possible, especially with the ball.

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De Bruyne: "We know Inter, they are very compact and always play in the same system. Both of their strikers keep the ball well and they defend incredibly well. We do not expect a very open match, this is often the case in the final. One should not get nervous too quickly. There may not be many chances at the beginning but we have to try, play our way and be relaxed.

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Dias: "It's a Champions League final, you can't expect an easy game. We know Inter's strengths and it's not just one, two or three players. We know that at the slightest moment when they are not given enough importance, we will already make a mistake. It won't happen like that.

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Remarks at a press conference

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2023-06-09

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