Man City face Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday with the pressure on, knowing that a win will cement their place in history as just the second English team to win a treble.
Such is the magnitude of the match, manager Pep Guardiola has some big decisions to make following their tight FA Cup final win against Manchester United. The City boss has got a full complement of players to pick from, with all of his Premier League winning squad fit to start the final, which takes place at Istanbul's Ataturk Stadium.
City have travelled with 23 players, despite having used just 18 players on a regular basis this season. This leaves Guardiola with plenty of options, but City fans will be hoping that he doesn't shuffle his pack too much with recent Champions League defeats still looming large.
Memories are still fresh of 2021's Champions League final defeat to Chelsea, with a tactical switch to leave Rodri out of the side, picking Raheem Sterling instead, backfiring as City lost the match 1-0. Ilkay Gundogan started that day as the holding midfielder, but City's goal scoring captain will expect to start higher up the pitch this time around following his heroic FA Cup final brace.
He will likely start alongside Kevin De Bruyne, with the pair enjoying a strong platform to play ahead of, as John Stones is expected to push forwards into midfield alongside Rodri. They will play ahead of an expected back three of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji, although Nathan Ake could return to the starting line-up following his comeback from injury.
City's defence will face a conundrum in the match, with the rare occurrence of having to face a front two, with Inter's 3-5-2 system facilitating great success in the semi-final as Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko put AC Milan to the sword. Romelu Lukaku could also make an appearance, with the Belgian back to full fitness after a difficult season.
This could leave Guardiola with decisions to make, with a back three potentially leaving gaps for such a pair to exploit in comparison to a back four, where they could go man-for-man. However, given his memorable Champions League incidences of 'over-thinking', the likelihood is that the City boss will stick to the 3-2-4-1 system, which has seen them progress to within 90 minutes of a treble.
Part of the tactical change which City have seen this season has been brought about by the arrival of Erling Haaland, with the Norweigian having initially appeared unsuited to the 4-3-3 previously deployed by City. Instead, by being able to pack the midfield with four creative-minded players to support the towering Norwegian, they have found an extra gear, one which Inter are predicted to be unable to match.
Having started the match two years ago, Phil Foden will likely start from the bench, with Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish expected to be the chosen two on the flanks to provide service for Haaland. He is expected to be joined by Riyad Mahrez, providing City with cutting edge should they need difference-makers in the second-half.
Man City predicted XI:
(3-2-4-1): Ederson, - Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, - John Stones, Rodri, - Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, - Erling Haaland
