Good interception by Dimarco and Martinez gets it from the left wing. He lays it off for Brozovic, who shoots!

It goes high!

MCI 0-0 INT | 19:24′ 1st-half

Inter try to take the direct route and a long ball is sent high up the fielder for Martinez, but Dias manages to clear it!

MCI 0-0 INT | 15:00′ 1st-half

A throw in and Dumfries launches it deep into the City area. Dzeko is the target but doesn’t reach it, and it is in the City box. Chaos and Martinez gets it and Stones tackles it for a goal kick.

MCI 0-0 INT | 10:35′ 1st-half

City are keeping the ball and spraying passes around. They are being aggressive while attacking, calm and composed while in their half.

Here is an attack! Bernardo drifts in from the right and enters the box, goes on and Dimarco gives him some space. He gets it on his left foot and tries to curl in. It goes wide, but that was close!

MCI 0-0 INT | 5:00′ 1st-half

A delicate through ball from De Bruyne and Haaland is there in the left side of the Inter box. He shoots and it goes wide, also off side!

MCI 0-0 INT | 2:44′ 1st-half

We are underway in Istanbul as Inter begin the first half!

MCI 0-0 INT | 0:00′ 1st-half

Both teams enter the field for the pre-kick off formalities!

This season’s UCL final ambassador Altintop brings in the trophy and places it.

The opening ceremony has begun and will see performances from Brazilian singer Anitta, along with Burna Roy.

Kick-off is scheduled for 12:30 AM IST, few minutes to go! Stay tuned folks for a thrilling match!

Dzeko, a former Man City player, is Inter’s highest goalscorer with four goals in UCL this season. His partnership with Martinez upfront, will be key for Inter.

Grealish has been good for Man City this season and has proved his ability in the UCL, and leads the charts for most chances created (35).

De Bruyne will be key for Guardiola and leads the UCL for most assists – 7.

This is Guardiola’s fourth UCL final (two with BARcelona and two with Man City). Only Carlo Ancelotti has managed in more (five). Guardiola will be eyeing his third title, equalling Zidane, with only Ancelotti winning more (four).

Lukaku has been benched. The Belgian striker has only played 144 minutes this UCL season, not starting a single game, but has either scored or assisted in every round they have featured in (goal in group stage, round of 16 and quarter-final, assist in semi-final).

Man City: Ederson (GK), Akanji, Dias, Ake, Stones, Rodri, Gundogan (C), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland

Inter: Onana (GK), Dumfries, Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dimarco Brozovic, Barella, Calhanoglu, Martinez, Dzeko

Man City’s Rodri has completed more passes under pressure than any other player in the UCL this season (681). From all players to attempt 300-plus passes while under pressure, under PSG’s Marco Verratti (91.7 percent) has a higher completion rate than Rodri (91.3 percent) this season.

Both Man City’s Alvarez and Inter’s Martinez won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina. One of them will become the 10th player to win the World Cup and the European Cup in the same season, having featured in both finals. The only previous players to have done so in this century are Roberto Carlos and Raphael Varane.

Sneijder won the 2009-10 UCL with Inter, under none other than Mourinho, also completing a treble. Speaking ahead of the final, Sneijder said, “Manchester City can win the treble but they won’t. To win the Champions League after the league and cup is an incredible feeling. My prediction is that it is going to penalties. That is exciting for everyone so I think full time 1-1 and then Inter win on penalties.”

Haaland won the Premier League Golden Boot, and will bag the UCL top-scorer award too after the match. In this UCL campaign, he has also hammered 12 goals.

Other than the treble, City are trying to become the fourth different English side to win the UCL title, after Manchester United (two-time winners), Liverpool (two-time winners) and Chelsea (two-time winners), which would be the most of any nation. The current total of three is the joint-most along with Italy (AC Milan, Inter, Juventus).

Inter are in their 11th major European final, the third-most of any Italian side behind Juventus (16) and AC Milan (14). It is also their first since losing 3-2 in the 2019-20 Europea League final vs Sevilla, and only their second in the Champions League, winning 2-0 in 2010 vs Bayern Munich.

City defeated Poland’s Gornik Zabrze 2-1 in the 1970 Cup Winners’ Cup final, and then lost to Chelsea 1-0 in the 2020-21 UCL final. This is their third major European final.

This is the first-ever meeting between both sides. It is also the first time when both sides take on each other for the first time in a UCL final, since Liverpool defeated AC Milan in 2005, which was also played in the same venue!

Hello and welcome everyone! Welcome to our live coverage of today’s UCL final between Man City and Istanbul, who will fight for the title in Istanbul. Stay tuned folks!

By Ajay Thakur

Ajay Thakur, a visionary journalist and the driving force behind a groundbreaking news website that is redefining the way we consume and engage with news.