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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Joe Bray

Yaya Toure insists iconic Barcelona team would '100 per cent' beat Man City treble-winners

Manchester City became only the second English side to win the treble, and only the eighth across Europe, when they won the Champions League in Istanbul a month ago.

Having come back against Arsenal to win a third-successive Premier League title, City beat rivals Manchester United at Wembley to win the FA Cup.

United were hoping to deny City the chance to go to Istanbul with the chance to win the treble, having won the only previous treble in England before this season, but City were too good and went on to beat Inter Milan to complete a memorable season.

Now, City join the likes of Bayern Munich, Inter and Ajax in having completed a treble, plus Barcelona who achieved the feat in 2009 and 2015.

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One player in that 2009 team was Yaya Toure, who went on to become a club great at City. However, Toure's allegiances remain with the Barcelona side who gave him his only Champions League title that year, as he believes the 2009 Barcelona side would definitely beat the 2023 City XI.

He told the Mail: "Thierry Henry, Messi, Samuel Eto'o, who was the best in the world. After that, Iniesta and Xavi. Then me and Busquets. That team was so complete.

"It would be tough but that team, with the mix of superstars, so many great players, I think they would win. 100 per cent. It was a dream. Even when we were in a training session, it was so intense. The levels we had every day."

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