KEIR RADNEDGE in ISTANBUL —- Manchester City finally matched neighbours United back in 1999 when they secured an English treble by adding the UEFA Champions League trophy to the Premier League title and FA Cup.

A 67^th-minute goal from midfield anchor Rodri provided a 1-0 victory over a combative Internazionale in the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. Goalkeeper Ederson also played a key role with a dramatic late stop from Romelu Lukaku as City followed up perfectly on the knockout defeats of old European kings Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

Manager Pep Guardiola thus became the first manager to win a treble twice after having achieved similar with Barcelona. Victory made some sort of amends for City’s defeat by Chelsea in the 2019 final. They achieved what Guardiola had described as both “dream” and “obsession” despite losing playmaker Kevin de Bruyne to injury in the first half.

Success ultimately rewarded the multi-million-pound investment of City’s Abu Dhabi owners since their purchase of the club in 2008. Set aside, for the celebratory moment, were the 115 Premier League charges of financial regulations breaches which the club vehemently refute.

City had started without Kyle Walker for their pursuit of the last leg of the treble after winning the Premier League and FA Cup.

Internazionale, for all their three Club World Cups, three Champions Leagues, three UEFA Cups, 19 Serie A titles and nine Italian cups, were probably the longest outsiders in the most prestigious European showdown since Steaua Bucharest were demolished by neighbours AC Milan in 1989.

Momentum

A City team spearheaded by 52-goal Erling Haaland kicked off with winning momentum after running down Arsenal in the domestic title race then dismissing neighbours United in last weekend’s FA Cup Final far more decisively than the 2-1 Wembley scoreline would suggest.

They made a positive start with Bernardo Silva screwing the ball across the face of goal yet City could not follow up and, for a spell, Inter were surprisingly the more aggressive going forward. They snapped busily at the heels of City’s midfielders and even created half-chances for Marcelo Brozovic and Nicolo Barella.

City responded with Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne putting in Haaland on the left but keeper Andre Onana was quick to narrow the angle, stand up and block the Norwegian’s shot.

De Bruyne blow

Manchester fans were then brought back into worry mode by the injury to De Bruyne. He insisted on trying to carry on but all in vain and City had no option but to replace him with Phil Foden.

Inter found themselves being pressed back in the early stages of the second half and Lautaro Martinez had a highly optimistic shot blocked before strike partner Edin Dzeko was replaced by the Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian might have opened the scoring within seconds. A mix-up between Manuel Akankji and Ederson put freed on the left but the City keeper blocked the Argentinian World Cup-winner’s attempted cross as Lukaku screamed in frustration in the middle.

Breakthrough

City finally took the lead in the 67th minute. Silva found space on the right and pulled the ball back for Rodri to side-foot powerfully inside Onana’s left-hand post.

Inter might have equalised immediately but Federico Dimarco’s initial looping header bounced back off the bar and the wingback dived forward only to see his follow-up effort inadvertently blocked by Lukaku.

City could have sealed the game in the 74th minute but Foden, after darting through the heart of the Inter defence, saw the onrushing Onana parry his left-foot shot.

The England man’s miss could have proved costly. In the 88th minute Lukaku thought his goal-bound header was about to level the scores until Ederson jabbed out a leg and the ball ricocheted to safety off his left knee. The goalkeeper knew next to nothing about it but, clearly, destiny was calling.

The teams

Man. City: Ederson – Stones (Walker 82), Ruben Dias, Akanji, Ake – Rodri – Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne (Foden 35), Gundogan, Grealish – Haaland. Manager: Guardiola.

Inter: Onana – Darmian (D’Ambrosio 84), Acerbi, Bastoni (Gosens 76) – Brozovic – Dumfries (Bellanova 76), Barella, Calhanoglu (Mkhitaryan 84)), Dimarco – Dzeko (Lukaku 57), Lautaro Martinez. Coach: Inzaghi.

Referee: Marciniak (Poland). Attendance: 70,000.

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