Mario Balotelli believes Inter Milan's underdog status may prove beneficial when they face Manchester City in the Champions League final.
Balotelli's two former sides will meet in Istanbul on June 10, with City strong favourites to claim the trophy for the first time in their history. Pep Guardiola's side have been in unstoppable form since the turn of the year, catching and eventually surpassing Arsenal in the Premier League while cruising past RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Europe.
But Simone Inzaghi's Inter will be no pushovers, boasting plenty of European experience and a brilliant recent run of their own. The Serie A giants have won nine of their last 10 games and were dominant in their two-legged victory over AC Milan in the semi-finals.
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“Inter have a lot of players who could make the difference,” Balotelli told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Starting with my good friend [Edin] Dzeko, but also not forgetting [Romelu] Lukaku and the sensational Lautaro [Martinez], his second goal against Fiorentina was beautiful.
“Experience tells me that it’s better to arrive in a final as the underdogs. And, whilst Guardiola’s squad plays an attractive brand of football, Inzaghi’s team are efficient, too.”
City have only reached the final once under Guardiola, where they were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in 2021, but this time the Blues boss will have Erling Haaland at his disposal. The Norwegian has 12 goals in his 10 Champions League appearances this season, and Balotelli believes he is among the best in the world.
“Erling is extraordinary," the Italian added. "The numbers tell you that he’s the best striker in the world, but for me it’s a question of personal preference.
“Osimhen, for example, is special. He does everything on the pitch and reminds me of myself in my heyday a little bit, although he is unique in himself.”
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