It was as comprehensive a victory over a current European Champion as there has ever been in the history of the Champions League.
Manchester City’s 4-0 win over Real Madrid last night was not simply iconic because of the level of performance City showed, but for the fact that they comprehensively outclassed the team that many felt would have the best chance of beating them.
It also put Manchester City through to the Champions League Final, where they will take on Inter Milan, who came through their second leg with a 1-0 win over AC Milan, giving them a 3-0 aggregate win.
However, there are not too many football fans and pundits looking at the final, which will take place at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, as being one that Inter stand any real chance of winning.
With City now just one win away from securing the Premier League title (which they can do this weekend in their home game with Chelsea) and also already in the FA Cup Final against rivals Manchester United, City are now on the brink of emulating the great Manchester United team of 1999 who won all three of those competitions in the same season.
Bet365 Sport have Manchester City as the 4/9 favourites to win the game with Inter Milan and 1/4 to win the Champions League in any way (including penalties or in extra time).
The Citizens are 1/100 to win the Premier League, with Arsenal now 100/1 while City are also odds on to win the FA Cup at 8/15, with Manchester United 21/4.
Incredibly, if you were to bundle the three wins for City together as a treble bet, to win the Premier League, to win the FA Cup Final in 90 minutes and the Champions League in 90 minutes, you would get odds of just 1.04/1.
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Are City’s chances of winning the treble really that certain? Let’s take a look at the three major competitions that they are one game away from winning to assess their chances.
Manchester City hold an almost unassailable lead in the Premier League and it would require a meltdown of epic proportions for them not to win the title.
City need to win just one of their remaining three games. That run of games begins with Chelsea at home on Sunday, followed by a game away to Brighton on Wednesday Night and then they finish with a trip to Brentford next Sunday.
In all likelihood, given that they are on a long unbeaten run of games in the Premier League, it seems likely City will win against Chelsea this weekend and then I can see Pep Guardiola resting some of his key men for the final two Premier League games with the title secure.
So while those changes may mean that City will end the season with three wins (although I still think they could well do that even if they do make changes) it is almost certainly the case that they will become Champions for the fifth time in six years on Sunday this week.
Likelihood of a Manchester City Win? – 100% – They’ll clinch it with a big win on Sunday against Chelsea.
Manchester United may be the team that has the best chance of scuppering Manchester City’s treble dreams and in doing so, preserve their status as the only team to do the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League treble in a single season.
The Red Devils have a half decent record against City since Pep Guardiola took over at the club, but City still have the upper hand in those games and it is telling that City destroyed United 6-3 back when they first met this season, although United did beat City in the EPL (just one of four teams to do so this season so far along with Brentford, Liverpool and Tottenham).
With this being a derby game, passions will be even greater than a standard FA Cup Final and that may well play into United’s hands who will want to keep the game frantic and City on edge.
However, given the quality and level that City are playing at, it is hard to see any team really giving them problems and I think in the end City’s quality will tell, especially if they have been able to rest players heading into this game.
Likelihood of a Manchester City Win? – 75% – I will give Manchester United a fighting chance as it is a derby game, a one-off match and a final on neutral ground. However, for me City are still the overwhelming favourites to win the game here.
Don’t read too much into either of the two games between the teams. Both were pre-season friendlies on neutral soil over 10 years ago (2010 and 2011 to be precise) and so the two have never actually met in a competitive fixture before.
Inter have won all their last eight games, a fine run and one which has seen them climb to third in the Serie A table and reach the Coppa Italia and Champions League Finals.
The Italian side lost two Group Stage games (both to Bayern Munich) as well as drawing with Barcelona and they also drew with Porto and Benfica in two of the four legs of their Round of 16 and quarter final ties.
Inter did beat Milan comfortably in the semi-final but Manchester City are so much better than their city rivals and it would be a huge shock if Inter can land the win here.
Likelihood of a Manchester City Win? – 95% – As well as Inter Milan have done to reach the final, it is worth noting that they lost home and away to Bayern Munich in the Group Stage, who City comfortably beat in the quarterfinals before destroying Madrid. Inter have a punchers chance to land the win, but as long as Pep doesn’t make a strange team selection for the final as he did back in 2021, then City should comfortably win this game.
Our verdict – We feel the treble is almost a nailed on certainty with perhaps the FA Cup the biggest obstacle to City’s domination being confirmed this season.
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