Manchester City lifted the Champions League trophy for the first time and in doing so sealed the Treble as Rodri’s strike proved enough to beat Inter Milan.
With the Premier League and FA Cup already in the bag, Pep Guardiola’s side arrived in Istanbul looking to finally secure European glory, one that would see them match Manchester United’s achievements in the 1998/99 season.
It was not a Champions League final to remember, Inter for much of the night successful in stifling City and defying any suggestion that this would be a procession for the favourites, but one lapse was all it took for the deadlock to be broken.
Just over midway through the second-half, Bernardo Silva’s cut-back deflected out to the edge of the box and Rodri was there, running onto it and firing the finish into the bottom corner.
City rode their luck in the 20 minutes that remained, Federico Dimarco hitting the woodwork and Romelu Lukaku finding Ederson’s knee in his way in the closing stages, but they held firm to reach the summit of club football.
Kyle Walker was named on the bench by Guardiola, who insisted that decision was a tactical one rather than a result of the defender’s battle during the week with a back injury, while Edin Dzeko started for Inter against his former side as Romelu Lukaku had to settle for a place among the substitutes.
City owner Sheikh Mansour was in attendance in Istanbul, 13 years after he last attended a competitive match, and he perhaps spent most of the first-half checking whether this was definitely the same all-conquering side he has kept tabs on from afar.
Silva curled an effort just wide and Erling Haaland was denied by Andre Onana, but there was very little in the way of attacking threat from City, a performance a world away from the one that tore Real Madrid to shreds in the semi-finals.
The biggest moment of the half came when Kevin De Bruyne saw his Champions League final ended prematurely by injury, just as it was two years ago against Chelsea. The Belgian managed just 36 minutes, the final few spent trying to shake off an apparent hamstring issue, before he was replaced by Phil Foden.
There was little change in the pattern of the match immediately after the break, with City still unsuccessful in their attempts to finally click into gear up front. It was Inter who had the chance to open the scoring just before the hour mark, as Manuel Akanji was unaware of Lautaro Martinez behind him and left the ball run, but the Argentine saw his effort smothered by Ederson.
City’s chance came though, and it was one they ruthlessly took. Akanji drove forward, this time aware of his surroundings, and slid the pass through to Silva.His cut-back fell perfectly into the space on the edge of the box, where Rodri strolled onto it and, before Onana could move, bent the finish around the Inter defenders and into the bottom corner.
The long wait for European glory was unlikely to end in serene fashion and so it proved, but a combination of Ederson, the woodwork and a wasteful Lukaku cameo kept them in front. Dimarco’s looping header bounced off the bar almost immediately after Rodri’s and he got on the end of the rebound, but it was Lukaku who got in his way to block the goalbound effort.
And the Belgian striker was involved again in the dying stages, somehow finding a way not to equalise. The ball was nodded back across goal and Lukaku had his moment to send it to extra-time, but from six-yards out he found Ederson’s leg rather than the back of the net. After a torturous stoppage-time, the Treble was confirmed.
