The best and worst players in the 2023 Champions League final

The best and worst players in the 2023 Champions League final

Manchester City finally did. Your long quest to conquer Europe is over. They won the UEFA Champions League.
They emerged victorious in Saturday’s final against Inter, with Rodri scoring enough goals 25 minutes from time to lift them to continental glory. The Nerazzurri threw the sink at Man City in search of a late equaliser, but failed to go through entirely.
Here are the best and worst performers from both teams in Istanbul.

Manchester City’s best player

Reuben Dias: 9/10

Honorable Mentions: Ederson (8/10), Rodri (8/10)

It is ironic that two of the men who contributed most to Man City’s victory – Ederson and Rodri – were both poor for much of the evening.
If anything, they made the most significant contributions, but our pick of their outstanding player was brilliant from start to finish. Ruben Dias converted the penalty that knocked Man City out of the Champions League against Real Madrid last season, but he delivered the performance of a lifetime in Istanbul.

The Portuguese defender caught loose balls – there were far too many – and was often the only reliable player between the Citizens and self-inflicted oblivion.
Pep Guardiola is once again showing a penchant for defenders who like to defend this year and few are as starved in that regard as Dias.

Manchester City’s worst player

Manuel Akanji: 5/10

Dishonorable Mentions: Jack Grealish (5/10), Ilkay Gundogan (5/10)

Alongside Dias was Manuel Akanji, who spent much of the evening helping Inter gain the upper hand. The Swiss international did well in the first half, but after the break his concentration slipped to an almost unforgivable level.

On his first mistake, he tried to fend off an easy pass from Bernardo Silva to Ederson, but he misjudged the weight of the pass and Lautaro Martinez was able to intercept it. On this occasion, Ederson came to spare his blushes.
A minute after Man City broke the deadlock, Akanji bounced the ball into his own box, with Federico Dimarco heading against the bar and then team-mate Romelu Lukaku.
Akanji is now European Champion. I’m sure he agrees with the review.

Inter’s best player

Francesco Acerbi: 8/10

Honorable mentions: Alessandro Bastoni (8/10), Matteo Darmian (7/10)

Ten years ago, Francesco Acerbi was treated for testicular cancer. On Saturday night, he managed to beat Erling Haaland in the Chamoions League final.
The clever veteran didn’t shy away from his duels – after a first shot on goal, Haaland was met with force and aggression and found no way to assert himself. Acerbi was aided in their efforts by youngster Alessandro Bastoni and veteran Matteo Darmian, but he ended up being their leader in battle.
Inter failed in attack but did everything reasonably possible in defence.

Inter’s worst player

Edin Dzeko: 5/10

Dishonorable mentions: Romelu Lukaku (5/10), Hakan Calhanoglu (5/10)

It’s a tough category for underdogs on a stage as big as this, but did Edin Dzeko really look like a 37-year-old?

His night started awkwardly, frantically dribbling the ball out of play without any pressure, but his performance didn’t improve much afterwards. As Lautaro Martinez pressed aggressively, Dzeko looked exhausted from the first minute and was replaced by the more energetic Romelu Lukaku shortly after the start of the second half.

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Manchester City player ratings against Inter Milan with John Stones fantastic

Manchester City won the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan, but they had to work hard.
Ederson: Irregular in the first half, but recovered in the second half with some fundamental stops. 9

Akanji: He almost let Martinez in with a shocking dismissal, but then played the key ball in front of goal. 6

Dias: setting an example behind, without missing out on anything. The best player since Stones. 8

Ake: He showed why he started, a cool head happy to get physical on defense and comfortable supporting Grealish. 7

Rodri: His performance was about 4/10, but scoring the winner in the Champions League final deserves a big influence. 7

Stones: Sometimes an individual performance feels completely removed from the team and the game, and Stones was excellent where everything around him was not. 9

Gundogan: He kept trying to cheer up the team and made some tough challenges, but he couldn’t support the attack. 6

Gundogan: He kept trying to cheer up the team and made some tough challenges, but he couldn’t support the attack. 6

De Bruyne: Terrible chance of injury in another Champions League final but he struggled a lot before being substituted. 4

Bernardo: Scored the goal well and worked well with the Stones on the right. 7

Grealish: Won a few fouls while holding the ball but had a quiet night. 6

Haaland: Helped defend City’s lead in his own penalty area but could have acted more purposefully at the other end. 6

Substitute

Foden (for De Bruyne, 36) made the difference coming on as a substitute and could have scored a second. 7

Walker (for Stones, 82)

Not used: Ortega, Carson, Laporte, Gomez, Lewis, Perrone, Phillips, Palmer, Alvarez, Mahrez.

Manchester City are treble winners!

Pep Guardiola’s big blues have been crowned kings of Europe after beating Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul.

De Bruyne: Terrible chance of injury in another Champions League final but he struggled a lot before being substituted. 4

Bernardo: Scored the goal well and worked well with the Stones on the right. 7

Grealish: Won a few fouls while holding the ball but had a quiet night. 6

Haaland: Helped defend City’s lead in his own penalty area but could have acted more purposefully at the other end. 6

Substitute

Foden (for De Bruyne, 36) made the difference coming on as a substitute and could have scored a second. 7

Walker (for Stones, 82)

Not used: Ortega, Carson, Laporte, Gomez, Lewis, Perrone, Phillips, Palmer, Alvarez, Mahrez.

Manchester City are treble winners!

Pep Guardiola’s big blues have been crowned kings of Europe after beating Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul.
The triumph capped a remarkable season in which they lifted the Premier League title for the third successive season and added the FA Cup by beating rivals United in their first all-in Manchester final.

And to celebrate this unforgettable record campaign, the Manchester Evening News has launched a stunning souvenir edition illustrating the blues’ journey through history.
An essential review of the season – Mission Accomplished – includes interviews, player reports, analysis, a recap of key matches, photos from the celebration and a poster of the Champions League winners. It’s the perfect way to celebrate an unforgettable season for Les Bleus.

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