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With the UEFA Champions League Final approaching, now retired Brazilian international, and former Inter midfield, Hernanes, has revealed to PL Brasil how he expects the game to play out. Manchester City will take on their Italian opponents in Istanbul this weekend, hoping to win the greatest club competition in European football for the first time.
As for Inter, they are aiming to lift this famous trophy for a fourth time, last doing so in 2010 when managed by Jose Mourinho. However, the opinion of Hernanes, who retired from professional football in May 2022, believes that there is a pretty clear difference between the two sides taking to the field in Turkey on Saturday night.
The 38-year-old, who now currently resides in Italy, is siding with the bookmakers in the opinion that Man City are the likelier winners come full time,
“I think Manchester are favourites. I root for Inter, for my friends, former co-workers and staff, but I think Manchester are much more favourites. Technically, Manchester have a much better chance of taking it.”
Whilst suggesting that Pep Guardiola’s Citizens are expected to be the winners in the UEFA Champions League Final, he did offer a word of caution to anyone with a City connection in believing that the game has already been won before it has even started,
“The only thing is that when you go to a game that you’re much more favoured with, the over-the-top favouritism can have the rebound effect, to think you’ve already won. Football doesn’t forgive; if you don’t go in focused and with the right mindset, you’re surprised. So you have to be aware of this emotional detail of a game of this magnitude, which always carries dangers.”
Hernanes, who who also discuss his career in depth, specifically around his time playing in Italy, highlighted three Man City players who could be the difference makers in the UEFA Champions League Final,
“(Kevin) De Bruyne himself is a vertical pass guy up front, he gives the team speed. Rodri is tall in midfield, it’s a different physical composition. (Erling) Haaland still pulls that arrow in front and makes sure the team doesn’t play so much on the sidelines.”
Finally, whilst Man City and Inter are the two lucky clubs to be playing out the final, Hernanes is of the opinion that there is another Serie A club that were unfortunate not to go further in the tournament,
“Napoli were a bit unlucky because (Victor) Osimhen at the time he couldn’t play, which disrupted the game against Milan (in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals). Despite being a balanced team, Osimhen made the difference, it is a reference point. When Napoli were with the full squad, I would rather see them than Guardiola’s Barcelona.”
Discussions will continue all across the globe in the build-up to this prestigious event, which marks the end of the major European footballing season. Either way, history will be made, Man City could win their first UEFA Champions League honour, whereas Inter could claim the double, having already won Coppa Italia a few weeks’ ago.
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