The greatest night of their history, the Champions League final triumph in 2022, was not without its difficulties; the heart-stopping moments have gilded the legend. This was another reminder of the quality of Simone Inzaghi's Italian champions, albeit without the same levels of drama.
The City supporters had come to see Erling Haaland and the striker's latest assault on the history books. If he could have scored here, he would have become the fastest player to reach 100 goals for a club, narrowly eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo's mark for Real Madrid. This was game.
No 104 for Haaland. Ronaldo took 105. Nobody really saw Haaland, save for a couple of first-half flickers.
And nobody saw enough from City, albeit they almost nicked it in stoppage time when the substitute, Ilkay Gündogan, headed straight at Yann Sommer from close range. Gündogan was close with an even later diving header.
It would have been cruel on Inter, who created the better chances across the piece but, as in the final, they lacked a cutting edge. At least they had something to show on this occasion from a performance of control and balance.
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Denne historien er fra September 19, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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