Manchester City are on the verge of achieving footballing greatness as they enter the Champions League final stage in Istanbul. 

Standing in their path are Italian giants, Inter, as City aim to become only the second English team ever to secure the treble, following their recent success in the Premier League and FA Cup last month.

The Champions League trophy has long eluded City, despite coming painfully close two years ago in Porto. Now, they have another opportunity to seize the coveted prize, with the weight of football history resting on their shoulders as they venture across the continent to Turkey.

This time, they are determined to add the missing piece to their incredible silverware cabinet.

Pep Guardiola (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Is it a dream or obsession?

Guardiola is in pursuit of European triumph once again, aiming to replicate his previous success in 2011 when he guided Barcelona to victory, against Manchester United. 

It was with Barca that he achieved a treble two years prior, solidifying his status as a managerial maestro. 

“This is the finish. The Champions League is an incredible competition,” Guardiola said. “It's absolutely a dream, yes.”

“To achieve things you always have to have the correct proportion of obsession and desire. It's a positive word, willingness to try to do it, of course”

Manchester City training session ahead of the final (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Manchester City training session ahead of the final (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)

“We know how important the competition is”

Guardiola's side will go into Saturday’s final as clear favorites, carrying the weight of expectations.

But Inter will not go down without a fight as they will look to win the competition for the first time since 2010, and this time they have the ‘King of the Cups’ Simone Inzaghi at the helm – not serial winner, Jose Mourinho. 

“Every single game we play during the season, this press conference how many people here. We know how important the competition is,” Guardiola insisted.

”I don't control what the people have an opinon about, just focus on what we have to do. I saw as many Inter games to see what we have to do. At the end it's a football game. The team who perform better over 95 minutes will win.

“Over history, Inter are bigger than us. It's not important. Important is tomorrow at 10pm Istanbul time we do the best performance as possible.”

Simone Inzaghi . (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Simone Inzaghi . (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

“They know how to be dangerous”

Guardiola has plenty of praise for the Citizens’ opponents ahead of the Champions League final, with I Nerazzurri looking to pull off a miracle in Istanbul. 

“Inter are a team used not only to defend. There is a belief that Italian teams only know how to defend, but Inter can do many other things," a relaxed Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

“(Francesco) Acerbi, (Matteo) Darmian, (Alessandro) Bastoni and (Andre) Onana are very effective in the re-starts. And all the forwards, from Lautaro (Martinez) to (Joaquin) Correa, know how to be dangerous.

“Inter have the ability to keep the ball and finish, they know how to attack from the centre and from the flanks. We will try to defend as well as possible, both high and low.”

Erling Haaland (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Erling Haaland (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Haaland’s four-game goal 'drought'

Fifty-two goals: 36 of them in the Premier League, a competition record; 12 more in the Champions League - not a bad debut season for Erling Haaland. 

The Norwegian striker has certainly taken the Premier League by storm, after his sensational debut campaign for Manchester City, and will look to add to his incredible goalscoring record in Saturday's final against Inter. 

Jamie Redknapp boldly described Haaland as the “first genuine superstar the Premier League has had,” which saw plenty of outrage from opposition supporters. 

Inzaghi has stated that Inter “have a plan” on how to deal with Haaland, But Guardiola was surprisingly asked about the Norwegians 'goal drought' during his press confidence 

“I’m not here to discuss the average for Haaland scoring goals. If you have doubts about that, you are the only person. I don’t have doubts, tomorrow he will be ready to help us win the Champions League.

“[How to be a good coach?] Have good players… I had [Lionel] Messi in the past and [Erling] Haaland now. I am not joking.”

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