Yahoo Sports Man City & Spain Star Looks Back On Champions League Final Winner Over Inter Milan: ‘I Just Heard A Voice, It Was Instinct’
Man City midfielder Rodri feels that there was just a “voice” that told him that he could score in the Champions League final against Inter Milan.
The Spaniard looked back on his decisive goal in the 2023 Champions League final in the Player’s Tribune.
Inter and Manchester City are just week and change away from meeting in the Champions League later this month.
The champions of Italy and England will face off in one of the marquee matches of the first round of fixtures of Europe’s top club competition.
This is not going to be the first time that the two heavyweights have met.
Inter and City were the two teams in the final of the 2022-23 edition of the Champions League.
Despite the Premier League team having come into the match as favourites, it was an even contest.
Inter went toe-to-toe with the Cityzens. The first half was somewhat cagey, as neither side could really establish dominance.
In the second half, though, City went ahead.
After that, Inter pushed for an equalizer. And they even created a few good chances to score, although they squandered them.
Man City Midfielder Rodri Looks Back On Winner Vs Inter
The player to break Inter hearts in 2023 was Rodri.
The 28-year-old former Atletico Madrid and Villarreal midfielder has become a player with a reputation for scoring important goals.
And that was certainly the case against Inter a couple of seasons ago.
Rodri looked back, “Even when I scored the goal in the Champions League final in 2023, it was not a ‘calculation.'”
“It was a feeling, from 20 years of football, since I was playing in the garden. The second before Bernardo put in the cross, I was actually very far away from the play.”
“On the TV replay, you can’t even see me. There was really no chance of the ball coming to me. I should have stayed still. But I took one step forward toward the box.”
“I don’t know why. I wasn’t thinking about it. Because nine times out of 10 — maybe 99 times out of 100 — when Bernardo crosses the ball, it’s not going to come my way.”
“But this voice told me, ‘This time is going to be the one time.'”
“I took a step forward. The ball was deflected. If I don’t take that one step, it’s already too late.”
“I saw the ball bouncing toward me.”
“And I can tell you everything that flashed through my mind:”
“It’s here. What do I do?
Hit it hard — boomba
OK, but wait. You will probably have one chance all game.
Just get it on target.
You’re out in the garden.
Just pass the ball into the net.
It’s here. Pass it.”
