Pep Guardiola has described facing an Italian team in the Champions League final as no “gift” to Manchester City after his side booked a date with Inter Milan in Istanbul.
The two teams will square off on June 10 after City demolished Real Madrid in their semi-final second leg, winning 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium and 5-1 on aggregate.
Despite being the overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy for the first time, Guardiola highlighted Inter’s pedigree in a note of caution.
“A final against an Italian team is not the best gift, honestly,” he told BT Sport.
Inter, under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho, famously upset the Spaniard’s Barcelona side in the 2010 Champions League semi-finals before the Nerazzurri downed Bayern Munich in the final.
While Inter shut out AC Milan and Porto in both games of their knockout ties en-route to the final, Simone Inzaghi’s side have the worst defensive record of the top four in Serie A this season.
Many will fancy City to go one step further than their defeat to Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final, with Guardiola effusive about his side’s performance against Madrid.
”Unbelievable,” he stated. “We spoke last week after the game and I was buzzing then just to be involved and in this moment. It's so nice.
“A week later I'm standing here again and it's 4-0. I don't think a lot of teams would do that to Real Madrid, but when we're all together and just playing, especially here, we feel unstoppable.”
He added: “I don't know what it is, whether it's the fans or just playing at home, we just feel unstoppable and even in the league we feel like no-one can beat us.
“We've seen what we did to Bayern Munich, Leipzig and tonight here. It's unbelievable.”
