Champions, Inter at the height of Manchester City. DiCaro’s comment

Honor to the vanquished. Inter leave the field in tears but with their heads held high. To well deserved applause, full of pride, anger, regrets and cursing some bad luck. You can’t pass a defeat as a victory: the Champions League has enriched Manchester City’s bulletin board. But there was no more honorable way than losing a final against a stronger team, the best in the world, perhaps the greatest in the long history of the Premier League. On the eve of the City were favorites.

City champion

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In England “swashbuckling” predictions were wasted. The more moderate expected a victory with a difference of 3 goals. And on paper they could also have been considering certain capital performances of Guardiola’s super team this season and in the Champions League. Suffice it to recall that the City had trimmed 4 to Real Madrid, champion of Europe, in a single time in the second leg semi-final. But until the 68th minute the result was instead 0-0, with the English who had made the match, but had almost always hit Inzaghi’s skilful tactical wall which had closed up spaces and blocked all the opposing passing lines. An organized defense that hadn’t been old bolt. There had been no epic saves, sensational saves, posts and crossbars to save the Nerazzurri. But there had been attention, concentration, many doubles and restart tests. Certainly Inter had created little, apart from a shot by Lautaro on another’s sensational defensive blunder, but Pep’s wonderful City had not been seen. Nor his famous plays at a thousand per hour, the movements without the ball, the pocketing, the very high outsides, the ball lap. In short, all the characteristics that made the eyes roll in so many matches this year and allowed Manchester to close the matches with so many goals difference, seemed to have ended up in the drawer. Perhaps also due to the tension that even the greats feel when they are one step away from an historic goal, the treble, achieved so far only by another English team, United.

Crossbar

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It’s as if old Pep knew that the excessive underdogs and defensive prowess of an Italian team could create more than a mental and tactical nuisance for him and that this was simply a match to be won, not to be swept away. Inter held the pitch for almost 70′ without trembling too much, then City found one of the actions that made their season extraordinary and Rodri’s goal broke the balance. At that point, with the need to recover, there was the risk that City could enrich his booty. He had a sensational opportunity to double with Foden, but after that it was Inter who pressed with courage, ability and rationality. And it was City who really trembled, first on Dimarco’s crossbar then with Lukaku’s sensational missed opportunity in the 89th minute until the last assault on the corner in the 95th minute. City certainly didn’t steal their victory, because they played the game for a long time, but given the final chances, Inter wouldn’t have stolen the draw that would have taken it to extra time.

Glass half full

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Inzaghi was good, his defense was good with the excellent Acerbi, Di Marco, Bastoni… He held up by running and restarting the midfield. He struggled the attack a little more and that was to be expected. And it’s a shame that Lukaku missed an incredible opportunity that could make him end his second Nerazzurri adventure with an extra bitterness. Inter must be proud of what he has done. More was difficult to expect. City wasn’t the usual one, but much of the credit went to the Nerazzurri. They played head-on, they didn’t tremble, they only narrowly lost. Inter fans in Istanbul and Milan can be proud of the performance. It cannot be forgotten that there was a formidable team up front. De Bruyne’s departure from the field certainly penalized Guardiola who, however, found a very valid attacker in his substitute Foden. Inzaghi played chess with Pep, showing his skills in preparing one-off matches. He definitely comes out of this competition more experienced and safer. The glass, even considering the slip-ups in the championship, with two trophies and this final is half full. Chapter Guardiola: he had already shown the most beautiful football by overwhelming Bayern and Real. He gets the second treble of his career after the one with Barcelona. He won his third Champions League. Missing this opportunity would have been unforgivable. He took her home Pep. Without showing wonders, but he took her home. For once, even for the greatest of players, only the result counted. Honor, as it should be, even to the winners.