Manchester City will be gunning for their maiden UEFA Champions League title as they go head-on against 3-time UEFA Champions League winners Inter Milan. The marquee summit clash will be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul and will begin from 12:30 AM (IST) on 11th June 2023.
Favourites to win the title, Manchester City would be hoping to stick to their plan and get their first ever UEFA Champions League title. The Cityzens have been in tremendous form and this is a perfect opportunity for them to prove their mettle and showcase their skills across the globe.
Inter Milan on the other hand, defeated AC Milan in the semi-finals and will be hoping to bag the honours in the finals. A win in Istanbul would power Inter Milan to their 4th UEFA Champions League title.
After having won the Premier League 2022-23 and the FA Cup 2022-23, Pep Guardiola and co. will be oozing with confidence ahead of the all-important finals in the UEFA Champions League 2022-23.
In this article, we take a look at the predicted playing XI of Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League 2022-23 finals:
Goalkeeper: Ederson
It is a no-brainer that the goalkeeper of Manchester City will be, Ederson. He has 6 clean sheets under his belt in the ongoing UEFA Champions League 2022-23 and will be a key force to reckon with in the finals of the world’s most competitive football league.
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji
The tight and water-proof back three of Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji will be forming the second line of defence for Pep Guardiola. All 3 of them have exceptional credentials and had a great Premier League 2022-23 season.
All the three defenders will have to be wary of Eden Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez as they are key players of Inter Milan in their attacking department.
Midfielders: Rodri, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne
The midfield of Manchester City is packed with some players with exceptional talents. In the wings will be Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish. While Silva usually stays in the right-wing for the Premier League champions, Grealish stays in the left wing.
Ilkay Gundogan will be another key asset for Manchester City and he will be instrumental in Manchester City laying their bid for the ‘Treble’.
Forward: Erling Haaland
Pep Guardiola likes to play with the 3-2-4-1 formation and it is highly unlikely that he will be tinkering with this formation. This means that Erling Haaland will be the only forward in the team.
Haaland has had a dream season for Manchester City in 2022-23. The 22-year-old Norwegian striker netted 36 goals for Manchester City in the Premier League and finished with the Golden Boot. It was also a record for the most goals in a single season of the top-tier English football league, Premier League.
Erling Haaland is also the leading goal-scorer in the ongoing UEFA Champions League 2022-23 and has notched up 12 goals. He will be looking to leave a lasting impression in the high-octane finals.
Manchester City Squad for UEFA Champions League 2022-23 finals
Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Ilkay Gundogan, Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish, Aymeric Laporte, Rodrigo, Kevin De Bruyne, Stefan Ortega Moreno, Julian Alvarez, Bernardo Silva, Sergio Gomez, Manuel Akanji, Riyad Mahrez, Ederson, Maximo Perrone, Scott Carson, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis
Also read: UEFA Champions League: 3 Things To Expect In The Finals