22 sec ago - Manchester City face Inter Milan in the Champions League final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul today. The game will start at 8pm BST, which is 3pm ET and 12pm PT. It can be watched on BT Sport in the UK and on CBS/Paramount+ in the US. Follow below for live updates.
The biggest club game of the year is finally here. The UEFA Champions League 2023 final arrives on Saturday as heavy favorites Manchester City kick off against Inter in Istanbul. While Lionel Messi's bombshell move from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami might have been the center of attention in the leadup, it's time for the game on the pitch to return to centerstage. City are going for their first European crown in what is their second final appearance after losing to Chelsea in the 2021 final while Inter are back in the final for the first time since 2010, looking to win it for a fourth time in what will be their sixth appearance. While City might have been expected to make it this far, few thought Inter had a chance to even get out of their group, and they find themselves in the position of underdog which they won't mind at all.
"For us, it was a dream but we have always believed in it. I'm proud to be here," Inter boss Simone Inzaghi said ahead of the match. "Nobody has given us anything, we deserve everything that we have achieved. And now the dream to play the final has come true. It has been an extraordinary path and winning a derby in the semifinal brought particular satisfaction."
City manager Pep Guardiola knows that no UCL final will ever be easy, and facing an Italian club means going up against a team that will always emphasize defense first, meaning sharpness in attack must be there.
"When you reach the final of the Champions League, you have to celebrate. A final against an Italian team is not always the best gift, honestly. Inter are competitive. After this [semifinal] victory, there will be a lot of compliments, but we have time to prepare mentally," Guardiola said. Don't miss our breakdown of Guardiola's past efforts to capture his third career Champions League title.
And for more from Guardiola, don't miss his sit down interview with CBS Sports' Thierry Henry.
For more from Henry don't miss the UEFA Champions League Pre-Match show, airing on CBS and Paramount+ at 1:30 p.m. ET. And here's the rest of everything you need to know:
How to watch and odds
Date: Saturday, June 10 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Ataturk Olympic Stadium -- Istanbul, Turkey
TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
Odds: Man City -225; Draw +350; Inter +575 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
TV Schedule
12 p.m.: Morning Footy - UCL Edition (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
1:30 p.m.: UEFA Champions League Today Pre-Match Show (CBS/Paramount+)
3 p.m.: Manchester City vs. Inter Milan (CBS/Paramount+)
5:30 p.m.: UEFA Champions League Today Post-Match Show (CBS/Paramount+)
6:30 p.m.: The Champions Club (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
Team news
The teams enter this match surprisingly healthy with the biggest concern being the status of City fullback Kyle Walker. He missed training on Tuesday with a back issue but chalked it up to "just getting old."
From our James Benge:
Kyle Walker has moved to ease concerns over his injury status ahead of the Champions League final, insisting he is fine after sitting out Manchester City's training session on Tuesday with a back issue. Walker was substituted in the closing stages of the FA Cup final win over Manchester United on Saturday and City's hopes of completing a treble would doubtless be aided by having the England international available to him.
"He has had a disturbance in his back," said Pep Guardiola at a press conference on Tuesday. "Yesterday he was not good, today he was a little bit better but we didn't want to take any risks. We will see what happens in the next days."
Projected XI
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Rúben Dias, Aké; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gündoğan, Grealish; Haaland
Inter Milan: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro Martínez, Džeko
What to know about the ref
Marciniak is a well-known official and widely regarded as one of the better referees of his generation. He has made a ton of noise lately, but it hasn't always been for the greatest of reasons. He officiated the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France where he awarded three penalty kicks in the match as the South Americans, led by Lionel Messi, won the title in penalties over Kylian Mbappe and company.
He averages about 3.86 yellow cards per game and 0.29 red cards per game in this edition of the UCL.
Ahead of the final, he found himself in hot water after appearing at an event organized by far-right Polish politician Slawomir Mentzen and apologized, stating he had not known about the event's affiliation.
More from Benge:
Szymon Marciniak will retain his role as the referee of the Champions League final having apologized for his appearance at an event organized by a far-right politician in Poland. Marciniak will be in charge of the match between Manchester City and Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10 but there had been calls for him to be replaced. The 42-year-old was present at the Everest business conference on May 29, an event organized by Slawomir Mentzen, but has expressed his "deepest apologies for my involvement and any distress or harm it may have caused."
Prediction
Guardiola finally gets it done in Manchester, guiding City to victory in the UCL final by the slimmest of margins as Haalan
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