‘Cup king’ Simone Inzaghi insists Inter Milan have nothing to fear against Manchester City in Champions League final… but he knows they face a tough task after watching FA Final triumph over Man United
- Simone Inzaghi has triumphed in seven cup finals as boss of Lazio and Inter
- Italian side are huge underdogs against Pep Guardiola in Istanbul on Saturday
- Inter have several players with Premier League experience including Edin Dzeko
Inter Milan’s cup king Simone Inzaghi insists his team have nothing to fear as they seek to thwart Manchester City’s Treble bid.
Inter are huge underdogs against Pep Guardiola’s side, who have already clinched the Premier League and FA Cup and will achieve footballing immortality if they beat Inter in Istanbul to claim the club’s first Champions League title.
Yet Inzaghi has triumphed in seven cup finals during his spells in charge of Lazio and Inter and is convinced his team can cause City problems.
‘I like having the nickname King of the Cups,’ said Inzaghi, the younger brother of former AC Milan and Italy striker Filippo Inzaghi.
‘I’ve always had strong teams at Lazio and Inter and in the decisive finals we have always attacked and defended well. We will do the same against City.
Simone Inzaghi insists Inter have nothing to fear as they seek to thwart Man City’s Treble bid
Inter have a strong Premier League flavour in their side including ex-City forward Edin Dzeko
‘Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world and I will always say that but we have no fear, even though we respect City a lot.
‘City have been chasing the Champions League title for many years. Does that give us a psychological edge? We will see.
It’s a very important game for both clubs.’
Inter will have a strong Premier League flavour in their side, with ex-City forward Edin Dzeko, former Manchester United pair Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Romelu Lukaku – on loan from Chelsea – all hoping to play their part.
Inzaghi has studied City’s win over United in the FA Cup final last Saturday and has no illusions about the size of Inter’s task.
‘The more I watch that game, the more I understand why they have been getting these results,’ he said. ‘They are a complete team, technically and physically.
‘But we have shown throughout our run to the final that we can compete. We have to limit their time on the ball and cover every inch of the pitch.’
