For each passing year that Manchester City have failed to win the Champions League, Pep Guardiola’s most coveted prize has felt a little further out of reach. A string of disappointing knockout-round exits at the hands of sides City arguably should have beaten defined the story of Guardiola’s first few years at the club, before the pain of losing to Chelsea in the final two years ago was the most bitter pill to swallow.
But last year’s semi-final defeat to Real Madrid felt like the last straw. The anger and frustration at throwing away a commanding position to ultimately miss out on the final in Paris seemed to take its toll on Guardiola, and this season he and his team have been on a mission to put things right.
Thrilling victories over RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have set up with this date with destiny in Istanbul, where Inter Milan stand as the last obstacle to a maiden European crown. Unsurprisingly, City are the favourites in the Champions League winner betting, but Guardiola and his team have suffered too many disappointments in Europe to take anything for granted.
For City’s enigmatic head coach, this feels like the most important moment of his tenure at the club. Yes, he has won a boatload of trophies since arriving in Manchester in the summer of 2016, and yes, his side have already enjoyed a hugely successful season by claiming both the Premier League title and the FA Cup, but the lack of a Champions League crown has always nagged at Guardiola throughout his time at the Etihad Stadium.
For some, Guardiola’s inability to win Europe’s premier club competition has been something of an asterisk to his tenure so far, despite the huge number of domestic trophies he has won. This is a chance to silence those doubters, and finally claim the one trophy City fans have craved more than any other.
Inter will pose an interesting threat. Few would have expected them to reach the Champions League final, and in that sense the Italian side may view this match-up against one of the great club sides of all time as something of a free hit. They are odds-on to lose the match, and coach Simeone Inzaghi will be using those assumptions as motivation for his players as they head to Turkey.
From City’s perspective, there is the lingering memory of the 2021 final in Porto, where despite being heavy favourites against Chelsea, they just never produced their best form. Indeed, many felt that Guardiola overthought his tactics for that match, allowing Thomas Tuchel’s side to claim the glory for themselves.
You would expect Guardiola to have learned from his mistakes, and you’d expect City to seize this opportunity. If they do manage to get their hands on the trophy, it will be an emotional moment for Guardiola, who will have then won all there is to win since his arrival in Manchester.
That is what’s at stake for City’s boss as they make the trip to Istanbul, and their supporters will be hoping that the pressure doesn’t weigh too heavily.
