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Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has said that his side must concentrate on themselves in their Champions League final showdown with Inter Milan on Saturday (June 10).
The Cityzens will look to get their hands on the coveted Champions League trophy for the first time on Saturday at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul. It has been a remarkable season for Pep Guardiola's men, who are on the cusp of becoming the second English club to win a continental treble. They have already won the Premier League and FA Cup.
De Bruyne has acknowledged that the Nerrazzurri will be tricky opposition. However, he reckons Manchester City will be focused on their own game against the Coppa Italia winners. Without underestimating the Serie A giants (via Football-Italia), he said:
“Inter have won the Coppa Italia and won almost all their games at the end of the season. They have a clear identity and a well-defined system. Nobody thinks it will be easy against Inter, and it’s a final so we have the same chances."
De Bruyne went on to explain how City will play the final the same way they approach every other game:
“We must score one more goal and defend better than them. It’s always the same story, to be honest, I think we must play as we know.”
Manchester City have been in spectacular form in Europe this season and are unbeaten. They thrashed RB Leipzig (8-1 aggregate), Bayern Munich (4-1 aggregate) and Real Madrid (5-1 aggregate) en route the final, scoring 31 goals in 12 games.
Meanwhile, Inter will head into the final as underdogs but are aslo in fine form. They won the Coppa Italia with a 2-1 win over Fiorentina. They beat FC Porto (1-0 aggregate), Benfica (5-3 aggregate) and AC Milan (3-0 aggregate) to reach their first final since 2010.
Manchester City's De Bruyne told to win Champions League to join elite midfielders
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has urged De Bruyne to win the Champions League and elevate himself to legendary status. The Belgian is yet to win the European title, coming closest in 2021 when Manchester City lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the final.
However, De Bruyne has been instrumental in the Cityzens' surge towards the Champions League this season. He has bagged two goals and seven assists in nine games.
Nevertheless, Carragher thinks the Belgian needs to have a career-defining moment by leading Manchester City to European glory, telling CBS Sports Golazo:
“If he could be the man who takes them to the Champions League, the treble, it elevates him. We’re not questioning his ability, but in terms of where we rank players, we always judge players in the biggest moments in the biggest tournaments.”
De Bruyne has been at the Etihad for eight seasons, winning the Premier League five times, FA Cup twice and League Cup five times. However, the Champions League is conspicuous by its absence in his glistening trophy cabinet.
