Inter Milan said they have been studying footage of Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger on his defensive tactics against Manchester City striker Erling Haaland ahead of the Champions League final.
The Italian giants will face Pep Guardiola’s team who have clinched the Premier League trophy and FA Cup this season at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday.
Haaland has scored 52 goals for City this season and admitted in a recent interview that his club bought him to deliver European club football’s greatest prize.
The 22-year-old Norwegian footballer remains one of the deadliest strikers in Europe this season and Inter intend to stop him by following Rudiger, who pocketed him when Madrid drew 1-1 with City in the first leg of the semi-final.
The German did not play in the return game, which City won 4-0 at their home in England.
Speaking ahead of the match, Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni said, “Haaland says City bought him to win the Champions League and that says everything. But it’s Manchester City versus Inter, not Haaland v Inter.
“I have seen a video of Rudiger in the semi-final. He managed to contain Haaland very well so maybe that’s an example we can use. We will try to copy what he did.
“Are we afraid? We should be afraid of assassins or other bad people, not footballers. Saying you’re afraid is a mistake. You have to be as brave as you can.
“We know City are a strong team who can cause problems when they get close to goal. We will analyse them this week and prepare for them.”
Daily Mail said Bastoni’s team-mate Federico Dimarco, a boyhood Inter fan, believed there would be more pressure on City as favourites.
Pep Guardiola’s team are trying to win the Champions League for the first time in their history and complete the treble by doing so.
Dimarco added, “It would be a dream for us to win it. For City it’s an obsession.”
