"They've been sensational" - Richard Keys says AC Milan and Inter together can't beat Manchester City in UEFA Champions League final
BeIN Sports presenter Richard Keys waxed lyrical about Manchester City after they beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League to qualify for the final.
The Cityzens played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in the first leg of the semifinal at the Santiago Bernabeu last week. Many expected a similar contest at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday (May 17).
However, Manchester City blew Los Blancos out of the water, claiming a deserved 4-0 victory and winning the tie 5-1 on aggregate. A first-half brace from Bernardo Silva and goals from Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez after the interval saw Pep Guardiola's side book their place in the final.
The Premier League giants will lock horns with Inter Milan in the final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on June 10. The Nerazzurri secured their ticket to Turkey after beating arch-rivals AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate in the semifinal.
However, Keys reckons Inter will be no match for Manchester City in the final. The BeIN Sports pundit said that the Cityzens were invincible against Real Madrid and cannot be stopped even if Simone Inzaghi's side teamed up with Milan in Istanbul.
"You could put both Milan & Inter on the pitch in the final & they wouldn’t stop City," Keys wrote on Twitter. "They have been sensational tonight (Wednesday; ed.). Irrepressible. Unstoppable. Near perfect. Fair play. It’s been a joy to watch."
Manchester City beat the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Copenhagen on their road to the final. Inter, meanwhile, overcame Barcelona, FC Porto, Benfica, Milan and Viktoria Plzen and lost only to Bayern in the group stages.
What happened last time Manchester City qualified for Champions League final?
Manchester City have won the Premier League five times in the last ten years. They are on course to add another title to their cabinet as they have a four-point lead atop the table with a game in hand. The Cityzens only need to win one of their remaining three games to seal the deal.
However, Pep Guardiola's side have struggled to have a similar level of success in Europe. The Manchester giants are yet to win a Champions League trophy. In fact, this is only the second time they have qualified for the final.
Guardiola and Co. were one step away from winning the trophy in the 2020-21 season. Hiwever, they failed to beat Premier League rivals Chelsea in the final. A first-half goal from Kai Havertz saw the Blues claim a 1-0 win.