Champions League Final: Noel Gallagher and Blanco vs. Chris Sutton in Manchester City vs. Inter Milan Predictions
Chris Sutton is currently in Istanbul for the BBC Radio 5 Live’s coverage of the Champions League final. The build-up will start at 18:30 BST on Saturday, with kick-off at 20:00 BST.
Having conquered two competitions, Manchester City now aims to complete the Treble. BBC football expert Chris Sutton, who has provided score predictions for every Premier League game and FA Cup tie this season, shares his thoughts on whether City or Inter Milan will emerge victorious in Istanbul. Sutton’s predictions are pitted against those of renowned City fans Noel Gallagher and Blanco.
Find out below who they believe will win, and don’t forget to make your own prediction.
Noel Gallagher on the Champions League Final:
Manchester City vs. Inter Milan (Saturday, 10 June, 20:00 BST)
Chris Sutton: “This is a challenging game for City. Inter Milan is a European football powerhouse, but currently, Pep Guardiola’s side is far superior. City is expected to win, but Guardiola must be aware of their past experiences in similar situations where they failed to defeat weaker opponents in this competition. However, this could be Guardiola’s lucky seventh attempt. It should be.”
Noel Gallagher, frontman of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, shares his view on Inter Milan: “Looking at the Serie A table, I observed that Inter Milan, a team accustomed to the concept of losing, has lost 12 times this season. This bodes well for City since finishing fourth with that many losses is almost unheard of in the Premier League.”
Blanco expresses his nervousness about the game: “The tension is overwhelming, and just the thought of it makes my heart race. Although we should win, I can’t help but worry about our past experiences in the Champions League under Pep’s leadership and the potential for things to go wrong.”
Sutton analyzes Inter Milan’s midfield: “Inter possesses talented players like Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the middle. Under Simone Inzaghi, they prefer a possession-based style of play. However, it remains uncertain whether they will be brave enough to execute it. Will they have the stamina to compete with City in the central area for the entire 90 minutes and match their intensity? It’s a challenging task, and there’s a strong likelihood of getting outnumbered because City excels in overloading their opponents across the pitch.”
Gallagher discusses the difficulty of the final compared to the FA Cup final against Manchester United: “I consider this game much tougher than facing Manchester United in the FA Cup final. The Italian mentality is to avoid defeat, and they will prioritize playing for penalties right from the start if they believe it gives them a chance to win. Their fans and media won’t care either if they lift the trophy through that route. They would be content to park the bus for 120 minutes, and it’s City’s responsibility to find the solutions to break them down.”
Blanco expresses concern about penalties: “My biggest fear is that Inter might score from a shot that accidentally hits someone’s arm, leading to a penalty. In the Champions League, handball penalties seem to be awarded more frequently than in the Premier League.”
Sutton highlights City’s multiple goal-scoring threats: “Erling Haaland hasn’t been as prolific lately, with only one goal in his last seven appearances. However, City’s success doesn’t solely rely on him. Haaland is a goal-scoring machine, evident from his 52 goals this season. But City has other players who contribute goals, as demonstrated by Bernardo Silva’s brace in the second leg against Real Madrid and Ilkay Gundogan’s performance in the FA Cup final.”
Gallagher reflects on City’s dominant displays: “If we replicate the way we played against Real Madrid, no team in the world can compete with us. We outclassed Real, just as we dominated a brilliant Bayern Munich side in both legs of the quarter-final. Inter will likely come out strong for the first 10 minutes, hoping to gain a foothold. After that, it will be their defense against our attack. Even if Inter scores first, I still believe we will win. Conceding first didn’t faze us against Real at the Bernabeu.”
Blanco envisions an early goal for Inter: “The ideal scenario would be us scoring another early goal, without any contentious decisions to level the playing field. If we secure a two-goal lead, it’s game over. I have confidence in our solid defensive performances. I’m certain Haaland will find the net in the final, even if it’s just one goal, perhaps a penalty.”
Sutton doubts Inter’s ability to break City’s press: “I’m unsure how Inter will overcome City’s pressing and move the ball up the pitch effectively. Just like United struggled against City’s press, it could be a challenging encounter for Inter. If Inter manages to score first, it will make things tricky for Guardiola’s side. However, if City scores early, it could turn into a complete dismantling of Inter.”
Blanco emphasizes the importance of the result: “Predicting City games is difficult for me, but the scoreline isn’t relevant here. The result is all that matters.”
Gallagher concludes with his prediction: “I expect a long night, but in the end, City will emerge victorious.”
Sutton envisages a convincing win for City: “City has been waiting and struggling in the Champions League, but once they cross the finish line, they will win comfortably. That’s how I envision this game unfolding.”
Champions League Final Prediction:
Date Result Sutton Noel Blanco
SATURDAY, 10 JUNE
Man City v Inter Milan x-x 4-0 1-0 2-1
In the Champions League final, there is no replay. If the match is tied after 90 minutes, extra time and penalties will decide the winner.
Chris Sutton, Noel Gallagher, and Blanco shared their predictions with Sport Newes Center’s Chris Bevan.
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5 comments
wow this text so cool i lov Champions league final it gonna be epic go man city i think they win they r so much beter than milan but u never kno soccer can be crazy game
No way man city gonna win this i think Inter milan got a chance they hav strong players in the midfield and city sometimes choke in the champions league finals so it could be intresting
I luv how sutton gallagher and blanco giv their predictions its fun to see wat they think gonna happen in the game sutton seems confiden city gonna win but hey we gotta play the match first anything can happen
The tension is killin me cant wait for the final to start man city got this in the bag haaland gonna score for sure but i hope inter milan put up a fight and make it exciting dont want a one-sided game
The way noel gallagher talks about city’s performance against real madrid and bayern munich is amazin they were on fire but this is different its the final anything can happen lets hope for the best come on city