Minutes after setting up Mohamed Salah for a back door header for a 1-0 lead at Leicestwer City, Liverpool wizard Philippe Coutinho tacked on a goal of his own.
Coutinho scored a beauty in the 23rd minute, as the Brazilian lorded over a free kick before spinning a goal just off the top of the wall and past a flying Kasper Schmeichel.
It looked like it was headed for the upper 90 even had it not taking its tiny deviation. The kick was a masterful effort from Coutinho.
27 games from the The Soccer Tournament (TST) will be aired across NBC Sports’ platforms in the summer of 2023 as some of the biggest clubs in the world will be represented as teams square off to try and win the $1 million grand prize.
Games will be aired on Peacock and CNBC, as the inaugural 7-a-side tournament takes place in Cary, North Carolina and the likes of West Ham United, Wolves, Borussia Dortmund, Wrexham and various teams from around the world including former USMNT and USWNT players will compete.
“On June 4th, two teams will face off in our championship game for a million dollars. The second place team will get nothing. We are excited to showcase the drama of that moment and 26 additional high-stakes matches through this partnership with NBC Sports, home of the Premier League in the United States,” said TST founder and CEO Jon Mugar.
Here are more details on what to expect from The Soccer Tournament this summer:
“A first-of-its-kind soccer event, TST will feature 32 teams from eight different countries competing in a World Cup-like group stage. Sixteen teams will advance to the knockout stage, where they will compete in single elimination games for a $1 million grand prize.
“Teams competing in the event include 7-a-side teams from notable European clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wrexham, Como 1907, Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv, MLS club Charlotte FC, Liga MX’s Club Necaxa, Clint Dempsey’s Team Dempsey, and US Women, a team of former US women’s national team players organized by Heather O’Reilly and coached by Mia Hamm.
“Notable players include legendary Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas (Como 1907), NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco (Nati SC), social media influencer and former MLS Academy product Noah Beck (Borussia Dortmund), among others. TST’s field will also include 23 former U.S. senior national team players on both the men’s and women’s side with nearly 1,400 matches of experience combined.”
Manchester City is on the chase for a historic treble and standing in the way is Inter Milan, one of Europe’s precious few clubs to claim such an honor.
The Premier League winners three times running have an FA Cup under their belt after beating Manchester United on June 3 and the final jewel in their treble crown awaits with a win in Istanbul on June 10.
Pep Guardiola could lead a second club to a treble after he did it with Barcelona in 2008-09, and they would give heated rivals United domestic company on the treble stage right down the road.
Guardiola says it’s now okay to talk about the treble. We agree, and we’ve laid out why the achievement is so special after the jump.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Manchester City vs Inter Milan.
Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in 1998-99.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils are the lone Premier League club to win it.
That’s it. For now.
How many times has the treble been won?
Nine times in history has a team won its domestic league, top domestic cup, and the European Cup.
Bayern Munich and Barcelona have each done it twice, with Bayern doing it in 2012-13 and 2019-20 and Barca pulling it off in 2008-09 and 2014-15.
Celtic was the first to win a treble, doing it in 1966-67, while Ajax was the next in 1971-72.
PSV Eindhoven then won it in 1987-88 before Man United made it happen 11 years later. Inter Milan is the only Italian team to pull it off, winning in 2009-10.
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Man City (-250) vs Inter Milan (+625) | Draw over 120 mins (+380)
Over 2.5 goals (-160). Under 2.5 goals (+110)
Champions League Final predictions
Joe Prince-Wright: Man City 2-1 Inter Milan
Andy Edwards: Man City 3-1 Inter Milan
Nick Mendola: Man City 2-0 Inter Milan
Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options
Manchester City won its seventh FA Cup and moved with a Champions League win of the very rare treble with a 2-1 win over Manchester United on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.
Ilkay Gundogan scored a goal after just 13 seconds — an FA Cup Final record — and volleyed home off a corner kick in the second half after a Bruno Fernandes penalty had drawn United level before halftime.
The Manchester derby nature of this FA Cup Final, the first final match-up between the heated rivals in tournament history, will make City’s win even sweeter, and the cherry on top is that United was unable to stop City’s quest to match its 1998-99 team.
That’s the only time in English history we’ve seen a treble that included the European Cup. Man City meets Inter Milan next week in the Champions League Final. A win means the treble.
Erik ten Hag is denied a domestic cup double in his first season as United boss. The FA Cup has been played since 1871, and Man United’s 12 tournament wins trail only Arsenal’s 12. United last won in 2016.
Treble-chasing Man City didn’t need its best, shows rivals distance to climb
This could’ve been a clean sheet win for City on another day, who had to deal with a 1-1 deadlock because of a legal but unsavory handball call against Jack Grealish that sent Bruno Fernandes to the spot.
Yes, United will point to the fact that it had to rebound from Ilkay Gundogan’s super quick opener, but City’s train barely left the station in this game and it was still a comfortable-enough win.
City let United hang around but there was always a feeling of inevitability: A moment of class was coming from one of the best teams ever assembled in world football.
Erling Haaland didn’t score and City misfired on a number of opportunities that it generally puts home. Is that a bad sign for next week’s Champions League Final?
That remains to be seen and debated, but there’s no question that City showed United how much more there is to be done to catch up to the champs. Why? Because City’s B-game was more than enough to collect another trophy.
Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings: Stars of the Show
Ilkay Gundogan
Kevin De Bruyne
Bruno Fernandes
Kyle Walker
Manchester City vs Manchester United as it happened
First half
THE FASTEST GOOOOOAAAALLL IN FA CUP FINAL HISTORY! It’s Man City taking the lead as a long ball is headed down by Erling Haaland and Ilkay Gundogan’s first touch is a stunning strike from outside the box. Man City, 1-0!
That’s certainly put the game on its head, and City has another chance go very close before United can get their hands anywhere near the game.
City’s had three of the match’s four shot attempts and about 67 percent of the ball at the quarter-hour mark but United’s press is keeping things interesting and there’s been a little drama in the United third.
Fine margins… could’ve been 2-0! Erling Haaland is an absolute full stretch to poke a Bernardo Silva pass toward goal, but he can barely get to it and De Gea corrals the ball with ease. 17′
CLOSE! Kevin De Bruyne drills a left-footed shot that spins just wide of the post as City is starting to collect near-misses. That’s both asserting control but keeping the Red Devils in the match. 29′
VAR CHECK. Could there be a penalty for Man United? Aaron Wan-Bissaka heads a cross off Jack Grealish’s arm, and the video review is putting Man United on the spot! PENALTY…
GOAL! Bruno Fernandes bests Stefan Ortega with a stuttering run-up, rolling the ball the other way to make it 1-1.
Looks like this one’s going to the break at 1-1, and Erik ten Hag has to be thrilled about that. Neutrals will be happy, too, as we’ve got a tense derby finale in the balance. City’s taken six of the 10 shots in this one and had 60 percent of the ball but United’s got the xG lead 1.00-0.61.
Second half
GOAL! City on the front foot again, with no changes to start the second half, and a 51st-minute corner free kick sees Ilkay Gundogan etching his name further in Man City lore when he waits out De Bruyne’s lofted free kick and grounds the ball inside the near post. Man City, 2-1.
SAVE! David De Gea reacts to make an in-tight leg save on De Bruyne.
OFFSIDE GOAL: Gundogan is point blank to tap in a loose ball but is offside. It would’ve been a hat trick.
CLOSE! At the other end, United sub Alejandro Garnacho drags a shot just wide of the far post. Those fine margins remain part of this one!
It’s desperation time for Manchester United, who only had seven minutes and stoppage to get in the way of City’s second jewel in its treble crown.
Gundogan’s close to his hat trick again but this time Luke Shaw intervenes to force a corner kick.
WOAH! Very close to a stoppage-time equalizer as Scott McTominay makes chaos in Stefan Ortega’s box, leading to a corner kick. Cleared by Kyle Walker for the moment. Less than two minutes left now…
🤯 Absolutely incredible! Ilkay Gundogan scores the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history, as Manchester City lead Manchester United after just 13 seconds at Wembley! #MCFC#MUFC#FACupFinal
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Man City (-200) vs Manchester United (+525) | Draw over 120 mins (+375)
Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: None.
City's FA Cup final line-up 💪
XI | Ortega Moreno, Walker, Stones, Dias, Akanji, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan (C), Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland
Some Premier League mainstays have left their clubs and may even depart the league this summer, whether their choice or the desire of their teams.
Ashley Young, Lucas Moura, and Joao Moutinho are among the players who will not return to their clubs, and all this before June is more than a few days gone.
Meanwhile, some new names are arriving in the Premier League, with Brentford purchasing a new keeper and Brighton raiding Watford for a star attacking talent.
As the summer goes on, this page will be consistently updated with the comings and goings around all 17 returning Premier League clubs and promoted sides Burnley, Sheffield United, and Luton Town.
Out
Jefferson Lerma (Released)
Jack Stacey (Norwich City)
Junior Stanislas (Released)
Arsenal
None
Aston Villa
Out
Ashley Young (Released)
Brentford
In
Mark Flekken (Freiburg)
Ethan Brierley (Rochdale)
Out
Pontus Jansson (Malmo)
Saman Ghoddos (Released)
Tariqe Fosu (Released)
Joel Valencia (Released)
Brighton & Hove Albion
In
Joao Pedro (Watford)
Burnley
In
Jordan Beyer (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Out
Ashley Barnes (Norwich City)
Chelsea
Out
Dujon Sterling (Rangers)
Crystal Palace
Out
James McArthur (Released)
Luka Milivojevic (Released)
Everton
Out
Niels Nkounkou (Saint-Etienne)
Fulham
None
Liverpool
Out
Roberto Firmino (Released)
Naby Keita (Released)
James Milner (Released)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Released)
Luton Town
None
Manchester City
None
Manchester United
Out
Ethan Galbraith
Phil Jones (Released)
Newcastle United
None
Nottingham Forest
Out
Jack Colback (Released)
Will Swan (Mansfield Town)
Jordan Smith (Released)
Andre Ayew (Released)
Cafu (Released)
Jack Colback (Released)
Jesse Lingard (Released)
Jordan Smith (Released)
Lyle Taylor (Released)
Sheffield United
None
Tottenham Hotspur
Out
Lucas Moura (Released)
West Ham United
Out
Arthur Masuaku (Besiktas)
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Out
Jeong Sang-bin (Minnesota United)
Diego Costa (Released)
Joao Moutinho (Released)
Michael Agboola (Released)
Lee Harkin (Released)
Jack Hodnett (Released)
Luke Matheson (Released)
Taylor Perry (Released)
Jack Scott (Released)
