Manchester City 1-0 Inter Milan: Rodri scores winner as Citizens win Champions League and seal Treble

Rodri was the unlikely hero as Manchester City beat Inter Milan 1-0 to win the Champions League for the very first time and clinch a historic treble.

Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions were far from their fluent best for long periods in the Ataturk Stadium, but they once again found a way to dig out a narrow victory to follow up their FA Cup triumph over Manchester United last weekend and end their long pursuit of Europe’s premier trophy.

The Citizens struggled to impose their usual, dominant game upon the Italians in a tight first half with Erling Haaland seeing their best effort well blocked by Andre Onana.

Guardiola’s frustration was then compounded when the inspirational Kevin de Bruyne was forced to withdraw from the action for a second successive Champions League final after appearing to injure his hamstring.

The pattern continued following the break but after Lautaro Martinez went close for the Italians, the Citizens broke the deadlock when Rodri guided a sweet strike into the corner on 68 minutes.

Federico Dimarco should have equalised two minutes later for the Nerazzurri but his looping header hit the crossbar with his follow-up inadvertently blocked by his team-mate Romelu Lukaku.

Simone Inzaghi’s men pushed late on but could not find a goal to force extra time with Ederson making a remarkable late save from Lukaku and City held on to lift their first European silverware since 1970.

Mission accomplished for 'special' Guardiola. The former Barcelona and Bayern coach was brought to Man City in the summer of 2016 and he was earmarked as the key appointment in the owners’ bid to secure glory at Europe’s top table. His record had been one of frustration and close calls since that day – until now. It's not just job done, it also sees him cement his legend as the first-ever manager to win the club treble with two different clubs.

This was way down the list in terms of their best performances in an unforgettable season, but they will not care one jot. All that mattered was a victory and they dug it out against a stubborn Inter who defied their tag as major underdogs and came close on a number of occasions to threatening the shock.

The headlines don’t belong to Haaland - the man seen as the final piece of the Champions League jigsaw - and he was a peripheral figure throughout the contest. Instead, one of Guardiola’s most reliable performers stepped forward from his unsung role to ensure this team will go down as one of the greatest club sides in history.

Rodri (Man City). The pre-match stat that this was Rodri’s 52nd start of the season took on extra significance once he guided that composed finish into the back of the Inter net to break the deadlock. Only Lionel Messi has started more matches as an outfield player in a single campaign under Guardiola and it’s easy to see why the Spaniard always gets the nod. He remained composed in an edgy overall performance from his team-mates and came up trumps when it mattered most.

MAN CITY: Ederson 7, Ake 7, Dias 8, Akanji 7, Stones 8, Rodri 8, Silva 7, De Bruyne 6, Gundogan 7, Grealish 6, Haaland 6. Subs: Foden 6, Walker n/a.

INTER MILAN: Onana 7, Darmian 7, Acerbi 7, Bastoni 7, Dumfries 7, Barella 7, Brozovic 7, Calhanoglu 7, Dimarco 7, Dzeko 6, Lautaro Martinez 6. Subs: Lukaku 5, Gosens 6, Bellanova 6, Mkhitaryan n/a, D'Ambrosio n/a.

27’ – MAN CITY CHANCE! Haaland is set free on the left side of the penalty area by KDB but his low strike is well blocked by Onana.

59’ – INTER MILAN CHANCE! Ederson and Akanji leave it to each other and the communication error almost allows Martinez to race in from the left and score, but the City keeper makes a fine block. Lukaku was charging into the middle too and is disappointed not to receive a cut back.

68’ – GOAL! – Man City 1-0 Inter Milan. Rodri keeps his composure to guide a first-time strike into the corner from the edge of the box after Bernardo's cut back deflected into his path.

70’ – INTER MILAN CHANCE! Dimarco hits the bar with a looping header and then sees his follow-up blocked by Lukaku! Inter come so close to levelling immediately.

79’ – MAN CITY CHANCE! Foden produces a bewitching piece of skill to surge through on goal but his low shot is well smothered by Onana.

89’ – INTER MILAN CHANCE! Ederson somehow blocks Lukaku's header from inside the six-yard box! What a reaction – but what a miss too!

Manchester City have scored 100+ goals more than they've conceded in three of the last five seasons (18-19, 21-22, 22-23) – prior to Pep Guardiola’s arrival, no English top-flight side had ever scored 100+ more than they had conceded in a single campaign.

Guardiola has won the treble for the second time in his managerial career, while he's the first ever manager to do so with two different clubs (Barcelona in 2008-09 and Manchester City in 2022-23).

Manchester City have become the sixth English team to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, after Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest – twice as many sides than any other nation (3 – Germany, Italy and Netherlands).