2036 – De Bruyne is being forced off injured!
The City talisman tries to continue but after over-hitting a cross signals to the bench he can’t continue. Phil Foden is on.
2029 – Not a good sight for City. De Bruyne down receiving treatment, but is back on the pitch.
2027 – Chance!
Haaland so close to giving City the lead. The striker is sent clear by De Bruyne and his left-footed finish is well kept out by Onana.
2025 – Inter are giving the City players no time at all on the ball and Guardiola’s men are struggling to get their creative players into the contest. Food for thought for the manager.
2016 – The City owner is here.
2016 – A cagey opening 15 minutes. City are having the majority of possession as expected, but Inter are ultra aggressive and look like they have the potential to be a threat on the counter.
2011 – The fans’ view.
2006 – Chance!
City go close. Bernardo Silva cuts into the area from the right and whips a left-footed shot narrowly wide of the far top corner.
2000 – Kick off!
Inter get us under way in the Champions League final.
1945 – 15 minutes to kick off in Istanbul.
1942 – Walker “will be absolutely fuming” at being left on the bench, according to Rio Ferdinand.
“Inside the blood will be boiling,” he said on BT Sport.
1930 – Haaland getting his eye in.
1920 – City fans back home are also braced for the big match.
1910 – The City players are out on the pitch.
1907 – Guardiola revealed Walker’s omission was tactical rather than injured-related.
“He could be there, it was really tough because Kyle is so important,” he told BT Sport.
1905 – Black smoke billowed over the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in the hours prior to kick-off due to a fire at a nearby factory, but there was no suggestion it would affect the game.
1900 – The City squad are in the building.
Their team bus had to navigate the traffic congestion and perhaps arrived later than ideal, but was still at the stadium by 8.40pm local time, with the game due to start at 10pm.
1835 – The team news is in!
Kyle Walker is on the bench for City. The England full-back suffered an injury scare late in the closing minutes of the FA Cup final last weekend.
Walker did not feature in an open training session earlier in the week and, although the suggestion at the time was his absence was precautionary, his expected place in the side went to Nathan Ake.
Ake was likely to start at left-back, with Manuel Akanji switching to right-back.
Ederson returned in goal for Stefan Ortega, but the side was otherwise the same one that started both semi-final legs against Real Madrid and against Manchester United at Wembley last Saturday.
Dzeko starts ahead of Lukaku for Inter.
1820 – The stadium is filling up, despite reports of heavy traffic on the way to the ground.
1810 – Mario Balotelli won the treble with Inter in 2010 and was a Premier League and FA Cup winner in his three years at City. But the Italian is remaining strictly neutral tonight.
“I’m not going to put myself in one of the two sides,” he said on BT Sport.
1805 – As well as the players, the pundits are also gearing up for a big night.
1755 – Another English side has rather fond Champions League memories of the Ataturk Olympic Stadium. Hard to believe this was 18 years ago.
1740 – How Inter would love to have this man in his prime back in their midfield.
1735 – City owner Sheikh Mansour will be at tonight’s game, only the second game he has attended since his investment vehicle, the Abu Dhabi United Group, purchased City in 2008.
1725 – City are aiming to match the feat previously only achieved in English football by their cross-city rivals Manchester United in 1999, but how do their two seasons match up?
United lost only three games in their treble-winning season, but a remarkable 21 draws in 57 games across the three competitions in question sees City overshadow them in most other statistical categories.
Excluding the League Cup from both teams’ records and with their 57th and final game still to play, Pep Guardiola’s side have 41 wins (73.2 per cent) to United’s 33 (57.9 per cent), 144 goals to 121 and 25 clean sheets to 20.
They have conceded only 39 goals to their predecessors’ 56, scoring an average of 2.57 per game and conceding 0.70, compared to 2.12 against 0.98 for United.
1710 – Unlike City, Inter know what it takes to win this competition, though. Remember this?
1705 – We know all about City, but how about tonight’s opponents Inter? Let’s take a closer look at the side standing between City and the treble.
Their success is built on their mean defence. Simone Inzaghi’s combative team have kept a tournament-high eight clean sheets in their 12 matches, including five from six in the knockout stages, with goalkeeper Andre Onana a star performer.
They also boast Argentinian World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez up front, alongside two familiar faces in former City striker Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku.
They had a mediocre Serie A campaign, though, finishing 18 points behind champions Napoli to sit third and losing 12 of their 38 games.
City know this is their final to lose.
1703 – The trophy is here.
1650 – Another taste of the atmosphere out in Istanbul:
1640 – Let’s have a look at how both teams got here:
1625 – 52-goal striker Erling Haaland looked in relaxed mood at training yesterday, but says he is not immune to pressure.
“Of course I feel pressure, I would lie if I said I didn’t,” he said.
In fact the Norwegian has only one goal in his last seven outings, but Guardiola for one is not concerned – “I don’t have doubts. If you have doubts about Erling scoring you are a very lonely person.”
1615 – City go into the match as red-hot favourites and Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne both admitted on the eve of the game that winning the competition had become both a dream and an obsession.
“To achieve things you always have to have the correct proportion of obsession and desire. It’s a positive word for the desire and will to win it. It is of course a dream for us,” said Guardiola.
1610 – Our man in Istanbul is inside the Ataturk and has the very precise timings for tonight.
1605 – Less than four hours to kick-off and the atmosphere is building. Both sets of fans certainly seem to be in good spirits.
1600 – Good afternoon and welcome to the PA news agency’s Champions League final blog. Stay here for all the build-up, key match action and post-game reaction as Manchester City and Inter Milan slog it out in Istanbul.
Eddie Howe ends his Pep Guardiola hoodoo as Newcastle knock out Man City
Eddie Howe was delighted to finally get the better of Pep Guardiola as he steered Newcastle past Manchester City into the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Last season’s beaten finalists triumphed 1-0 at St James’ Park, and then saw themselves drawn against City’s derby rivals Manchester United – their conquerors at Wembley in February – at Old Trafford.
For Magpies head coach Howe, it was a first win in 14 attempts against Guardiola as a manager, but that was not his main cause for celebration.
Howe said: “Yes, my record against him isn’t good, so it’s nice to win, but most importantly it’s not about that it’s about trying to progress in the competition and I’m delighted with the players, delighted with the efforts that they gave.
“It was a very difficult game for us in that first half, I thought they played very well. I thought we defended very well – we had to because we struggled, didn’t have much rhythm.
“But then the second half was a totally different performance. The balance of of the team was much better and I’m delighted with everyone’s commitment to the game.”
While Howe chose to rest 10 of the men who started Sunday’s 8-0 Premier League demolition of Sheffield United, opposite number Pep Guardiola made eight changes, although it was the way in which they used their respective benches which ultimately proved decisive.
The Spaniard kept star striker Erling Haaland in reserve and asked substitute Phil Foden to try to rescue the tie for him, while his opposite number changed the pattern of the game by sending on Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon at the break and reaped the rewards.
Newcastle have already lost to City and Liverpool in the league this season, so victory over one of the big boys was all the more welcome.
Howe said: “The only way you go into these games with more belief is by winning, so hopefully that will serve us well for the future. It shows that we are capable.
“Yes, both teams made changes, but all you can do is try to win the game and we did, and I’m delighted with the players.”
The game was settled by Alexander Isak’s 53rd-minute finish at the end of a powerful run by Joelinton, although City were left kicking themselves for not capitalising on their domination before the break and their failure to mount a fresh charge after it.
Asked if he was disappointed that his side could no longer win a quadruple to go with the treble they landed last season, a bemused Guardiola said: “You think the target was to win the quadruple? Honestly, it’s not.
“We competed really well and we are more than satisfied to win the treble. Our expectations are high, but not high enough to not be satisfied with that.”
Guardiola opted not to throw Haaland into the mix as time ran down, and was happy to defend that decision.
Asked if he considered sending the frontman on, he said: “No. I thought Kyle (Walker had played) a lot of minutes, Erling a lot of minutes. We have a lot of games ahead of us.
“Maybe the last 10-15 minutes, but I decided not to do it.”
Late Martin Boyle brace fires Hibs into cup semi-finals after beating St Mirren
Martin Boyle’s late double settled a thriller against St Mirren and sent Hibs into the Viaplay Cup semi-finals following a 4-2 victory.
The visitors had gone in at half-time ahead thanks to Scott Tanser’s fine effort.
Goals from Elie Youan and Dylan Vente then gave Hibs the advantage, only for Keanu Baccus to level things at 2-2.
With 10 minutes left to play, Boyle smashed home what proved to be the winner before adding a late fourth to extend Nick Montgomery’s undefeated start as Hibs manager.
Montgomery made two changes to the side that defeated St Johnstone at the weekend as in came Christian Doidge and Youan, with Adam Le Fondre and Jair Tavares dropping out.
St Mirren also made two alterations after their win over Hearts. There were places for Caolan Boyd-Munce and Mikael Mandron, who replaced Baccus and Connor McMenamin.
It was the visitors who had the first chance but Greg Kiltie’s goalbound header lacked the power to trouble David Marshall.
Former Hibs midfielder Alex Gogic then had a stab goalwards from Boyd-Munce’s deep free-kick that was also saved.
Saints were on top at this point and Ryan Strain’s searching ball picked out Toyosi Olusanya but his lobbed effort over Marshall drifted off target.
Boyle then came within inches of getting onto the end of Joe Newell’s enticing ball from the Hibs right flank.
St Mirren moved in front two minutes before half-time when Strain’s back-post cross was headed backwards by Mandron and Tanser thrashed in a half-volley from the edge of the box.
Hibs had a good chance from a similar position early in the second half but this time Rocky Bushiri dragged his effort well wide.
The home side, though, did draw level after 52 minutes when Boyle’s corner was nodded towards goal by Will Fish for Youan to touch in from close range.
Two minutes later, Hibs were in front. Lewis Miller’s cross picked out Vente in space and the striker was able to turn before firing his shot beyond Zach Hemming.
Saints nearly fell further behind when Boyle was allowed to dribble in on goal before forcing Hemming into a smart stop.
But they worked their way level after 76 minutes. Mark O’Hara picked out Baccus and the Australia international was allowed to run in on goal before finishing well in the far corner.
Hibs, though, went back in front four minutes later. Gogic stretched to try to cut out a cross but could only divert it to Boyle, who scored via the underside of the bar.
The forward missed a sitter to extend Hibs’ lead but made no mistake in time added on to seal the win.
Alexander Isak grabs winner as Newcastle beat Manchester City in Carabao Cup
Alexander Isak fired Newcastle into the Carabao Cup fourth round at the expense of Manchester City.
The Sweden international struck eight minutes after the break to seal a 1-0 victory for the Magpies – their first over City in any competition in 11 attempts – in front of a crowd of 51,692 at St James Park.
Their place in the draw was reward for a dogged display by a team featuring 10 changes to the one which started Sunday’s 8-0 Premier League victory Sheffield United, but one which was particularly hard-earned after they were given the run-around before the break by Pep Guardiola’s under-studies.
Guardiola made eight changes, three of them to include Mateo Kovacic, Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish, and – while having indicated in advance that the competition was the least of his priorities – saw his side dominate for long periods but ultimately fail to turn the pressure they exerted into goals.
With Phillips and Kovacic controlling the midfield battle, the Magpies were absent as an attacking force for much of the first half.
By contrast the link between Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb – making his first senior start – and Sergio Gomez down the City right proved profitable repeatedly.
Goalkeeper Nick Pope was called upon for the first time with 18 minutes gone when Bobb turned smartly on Phillips’ ball to feet and raced towards goal before feeding Julian Alvarez, whose low shot was blocked by the keeper’s boot.
Paul Dummett had to make a perfectly-timed challenge to deny Grealish a clear run at goal and Sandro Tonali threw himself into the path of Kovacic’s goal-bound strike with Newcastle’s inability to retain the ball causing them all kinds of problems.
Alvarez blazed a 28th-minute shot across goal after running on to Bobb’s clever flick from Kovacic’s square ball as the home side chased shadows, although they might have changed the narrative of the first half four minutes before the break.
Joelinton’s interception on halfway allowed Isak to feed Jacob Murphy, who surged forward before firing across keeper Stefan Ortega, who blocked with a leg.
Eddie Howe made a double change before the restart, replacing Lewis Hall and 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley, who was also starting for the first time, with Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon and the Magpies instantly had a better balance.
Tonali saw a 48th-minute shot blocked after he, Murphy and Tino Livramento had combined down the right and Newcastle were ahead five minutes later.
Murphy cut inside and found Joelinton, who powered his way into the penalty area before smashing the ball across goal from a tight angle to find the unmarked Isak, who finished with ease at the far post.
In an instant, the atmosphere inside St James’ Park changed with the visitors finding themselves under sustained pressure for the first time.
Grealish curled a 75th-minute shot into Pope’s arms as City responded, but their efforts were tepid and Guardiola was booked by referee Chris Kavanagh as he vented his frustration on the sideline.
His mood did not improve as City’s weak efforts to redeem themselves came to nothing despite Phil Foden’s introduction.
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