In the Champions League final vs City, Mario Balotelli thinks Inter Milan’s position as the underdog can work in their favour.
On June 10, the two previous teams of Mario Balotelli will face off in Istanbul, with City being heavy favourites to win the trophy for the first time ever. Since the beginning of the year, Guardiola’s team has been in unstoppable form, catching up to and then overtaking Premier League leaders Arsenal while cruising past RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid in Europe.
Inter, though, led by Simone Inzaghi, will not be taken lightly; they have a wealth of European experience and have recently enjoyed success of their own. The Serie A powerhouses have won nine of their past ten games and dominated in their two-legged semifinal triumph over AC Milan.
Balotelli said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport that Inter has a lot of players that could make the difference. “Let’s start with my dear friend Edin Dzeko, but don’t forget about [Romelu] Lukaku and the incredible Lautaro [Martinez]. His second goal against Fiorentina was amazing.
Experience has taught me that it is preferable to enter a championship game as the underdog. And while Guardiola’s team plays a visually appealing kind of football, Inzaghi’s team is also productive.
Guardiola has only ever led City to the final once, where they were defeated by Chelsea 1-0 in 2021. However, this time, the Blues manager will have Haaland at his disposal. The Norwegian has scored 12 goals in 10 appearances in the Champions League this year, and Balotelli considers him to be among the finest in the world.
Erling is exceptional, the Italian continued. “The statistics show that he is the best striker in the world, but for me, it’s a matter of taste.
Osimhen, for instance, is unique. Despite being distinctive in his own right, he does everything on the pitch and sometimes makes me think of myself back in my prime.