Manchester City goalkeper Ederson has insisted he will be ready to take a penalty, if the Champions League final goes to a shootout against Inter.
City are gearing up for Saturday’s game in Istanbul, after winning the FA Cup on Saturday.
City are now two for two in their hunt for a Treble, and the Italian giants are the final hurdle.
It is one of the the biggest games in the club’s history, and City fans are hoping the lads can get the job done this time, having fallen short against Chelsea two years ago.
City are the heavy favourites to win.
In 2023, Pep Guardiola’s side have been sweeping teams away left, right and centre.
But it’s a final, and anything could happen.
Inter are there for a reason.
They have had a great season under Simone Inzaghi, and just recently they won a trophy like City, in the form of the Coppa Italia.
They have some big threats in their team. Inzaghi picked out Lautaro Martinez in his pre-match press conference as a player who could hurt City.
And Pep also branded goalkeeper Andre Onana ‘exceptional’ at building attacks from the back.
It’s going to be a fascinating watch, and City fans are ideally hoping for a faultless display and for the game to be wrapped up in normal time.
It remains to be seen if that happens. The game going to a penalty shootout would certainly be a very difficult watch for City fans.
Should it come to that, City goalkeeper Ederson has confidently stated that he will be ready to take one.
He said (via talkSPORT): “We’ve been working on any circumstance that can happen, whether that’s in 90 minutes, extra-time or if it reaches penalties. I’ll be ready if that moment arrives and it comes to me. This is a moment any goalkeeper loves because they can be the hero so. I’ll be ready if it does arrives.”
Manchester City fans could finally see Ederson take a penalty on Saturday in the Champions League final
It is something many City fans have always wanted to see.
There was a period at City where players regularly missed from 12 yards, and a narrative started about Ederson becoming the taker.
Guardiola even said once that he was ‘pretty sure he’s a good taker’ (via Sky Sports). This is despite never taking one in a competitive game. He has also, obviously, never scored for the club.
Ahead of the 2021 final with Chelsea, Ederson was practicing taking penalties in training. He took 11 and scored 10 (via Mirror).
Many City fans will really hope it doesn’t get to the point of Ederson having to step up to take a penalty.
But at the same time, there is actually something extremely exciting about him possibly scoring a penalty that wins City the Champions League, after all the talk.
