The experience of Carlo Ancelotti gives Man City a warning before the Champions League final.
City beat Ancelotti's Real Madrid with a resounding 4-0 scoreline in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg to win 5-1 on aggregate.
Bernardo Silva scored twice to help Pep Guardiola's army overwhelm the defending champion in the first half. And while Los Blancos struggled to regroup after the break, an own goal from Eder Militao and a save from Julian Alvarez proved City's class was abysmal.
After beating Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, City have humiliated the 14-time European champions and enter the final against Inter next month as serious contenders. Advertisement
Indeed, the likelihood that it will be the night that Guardiola's men complete a historic treble is growing, as the club nearly won the Premier League and progressed to the FA Cup final.
Ancelotti warns Man City
Ancelotti's experience in the 2005 Champions League final will warn Guardiola and Man City not to be complacent about Inter.
The comparison between this finale iteration and this year's version is stark. Both finals were held in Istanbul at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium; both show obvious favoritism and an unimaginable underdog. But famously in 2005, things didn't go as planned. Advertisement
Ancelotti led a Milan team with the most legendary players of that time. That day the Rossoneri left with Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko, Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo.
They face Liverpool, who have beaten their favorites throughout the tournament, including Juventus and Chelsea, but have endured a tough season domestically. Reds defender Jamie Carragher even claimed before the game that Liverpool were not even as good as the teams that won the UEFA Cup final four years ago.
And as expected, Milan took a 3-0 lead after halftime. It looks like a routine, with Liverpool barely competing against their legendary rivals.
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But the game was then over for Milan. Liverpool started their comeback in the second half by scoring three goals in a dramatic six-minute span to level the playing field.
The score remained 3-3 in extra time and was decided in a penalty shootout, where Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek saved two penalties and completed the 'Miracle of Istanbul'.
Of course, to a younger set of City fans, the game seems like ancient history. However, it is as a warning to Guardiola and his students not to be complacent in the final against Inter.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the fateful night, Ancelotti said in 2007:
“In Istanbul, Milan played well and deserved to win the Champions League.
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"But that's football. You don't always get what you deserve."
City fans and players should heed Ancelotti's warning. Football is weird.
Although Guardiola's men are playing like the best team in Europe, on June 10 against a difficult Inter, anything is possible.
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