The Athletic

Shortest Favourites

The shortest favourites in this competition at this stage for in recent memory.

They're very close to perfection now. This is obviously what they're chasing. They're a club chasing perfection and sort of total domination.

This game is not going to go the way of inter-surprising everyone dominating the ball,

dominating chances and winning the game comfortably. If they are to win, it's probably

going to be back to all the stuff against the run of play. And that is where a keeper can be so

important.

Hello and welcome to the Athletic Football podcast. I'm Dan Bardell and it's time for the weekend preview.

I'm joined by George Ellick, Tim Spears and Bet365 Steve Freeth.

Having seen off Arsenal in the title race and Manchester United at Wembley, Man City shot at the treble comes down to just one game. It's the Champions League final preview

here on the Athletic Football podcast. So then welcome team. It's two legs of the treble down for Manchester City. They are now just one game away from reaching the promised land and everything they've worked so hard towards this season. George, it's a big one. But I don't think it'll be a walk in the park of Manchester City. I envisage it being a tight game.

Finals, especially when there's so much at stake, normally are.

It's pretty rare to see teams cut loose and really go for the jugular.

Normally when teams go ahead as well, they sit on their lead rather than continue to go forward.

Despite City obviously being a side who retain possession and press very well, but they're also a side who play the percentages for the most part. And for that reason, I do think you're right. And also, even though, you know, into finish, what was it, 18 points behind Napoli in Syria, there's no denying that they come into this game in exceptional form. You know, they've won, I think it's's in nine of their last ten in all competitions, losing just a solitary game, they've won the Coppa Italia. And I don't think they'll mind coming into this as underdogs. And I think Pep Guardiola, given his recent record in this competition, given his recent record in, you know, finals of this competition, or a final in this competition, it's unlikely they're going to take

any chances and it's unlikely. I think it's pretty rare that we say this. I think we all know

what the starting nine up for City is going to be going into this game, which makes a massive

change to usual for Pep Guardiola. So yeah, I doubt we're going to see an end-to-end high-scoring

classic, but despite City being heavy

favourites to win this, I also kind of think it's unlikely we'll see them run riot as well.

Yeah, George mentions there, Steve, that City are heavy favourites, just how heavy are there?

...