Three things we learned from RB Leipzig – Manchester United

Paul Pogba
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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RB Leipzig – Manchester United: Manchester United is out of the UEFA Champions League, headed to the Europa League following a 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig at Red Bull Arena in Saxony on Tuesday.

Leipzig’s 12 points are three more than United and PSG, who holds the tiebreaker on the Red Devils and did not play its match following allegations of racial abuse from the fourth official towards Istanbul Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo.

[ MORE: Maguire reacts to Champions League exit ]

The Red Devils snapped to life in the second half and Bruno Fernandes scored an 80th-minute penalty for United and substitute Paul Pogba nodded home off a corner kick but it was too little, too late.

RB Leipzig – Manchester United thrilled late but the Red Devils failed to finish the comeback, undone by first-half errors.

[ MORE: How to watch PL in the USA


Three Four things we learned from RB Leipzig – Manchester United

1. Nagelsmann tempts Ole’s tactical acumen, United resilience: The visiting Red Devils have developed a reputation for comebacks, but down 2-0 on the continent in a potentially season-defining game was a much bigger challenge than any of United’s comebacks this season (especially with Paul Pogba left at home). United was cooked out wide despite having two fullbacks playing in the midfield of a 3-4-3, as Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann targeted width and space going forward, making it look like United rolled out a formation without telling the three center backs and two wide men their defensive responsibilities.

Solskjaer responded at halftime by taking off Alex Telles for Donny van de Beek. At the hour mark, he plugged Paul Pogba and Brandon Williams into the fray for Nemanja Matic and Luke Shaw. Those midfield moves helped United control the second half but the margins for error were so thin and a critical mistake allowed Leipzig to add a decisive third goal.

2. Pogba changes game in shot across Solskjaer’s bow: Is the situation going to be untenable for Solskjaer at Old Trafford after Pogba came off the bench and changed the entire game one day after his agent Mino Raiola said Pogba is being misused and headed for the exit at Old Trafford?

[ RELATED: Solskjaer tears into Raiola after the game ]

Pogba and Donny van de Beek were both very good off the bench but that will earn more questions toward Solskjaer, who has rarely started the latter and whose use of the former has been controversial at best. As our own Joe Prince-Wright said, Pogba played the ball that led to Greenwood’s penalty and then scored a goal of his own before sending a late cross that could’ve well led to a qualifying equalizer.

3. That said, both the backs and attack bear the blame: United got nothing cooking in the first 20 minutes while Leipzig sent in cross after cross thanks to the Red Devils’ wide men. The center backs didn’t do much, either.

But Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford did very little with Bruno Fernandes service as United went down 2-0, and Scott McTominay and Matic underneath them were not a threat. Fernandes had multiple chances as the game wore on and the Portuguese was the Red Devils’ best hope even after Greenwood awakened to tempt the frame and win a penalty kick that Fernandes snapped past Gulacsi.

4. Man City man cooks United ahead of derby: For whatever reason, Pep Guardiola’s hole at left back is not Angelino sized and that was a huge problem for Solskjaer as the Spaniard has torched many opponents this season.

Angelino was all over the pitch again Tuesday, a left-wing back or left mid depending on how you view Nagelsmann’s 3-4-3 (USMNT star Tyler Adams has said wide men are often playing several positions over 90 minutes under Nagelsmann). He has seven goals and five assists in 17 appearances for the Germans this season.

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Tyler Adams subbed into the match for the final 12 minutes and saw both goals of United’s comeback bid. He picked up a yellow card, won a duel, made an interception, and one tackle.

Man of the Match: Angelino


RB Leipzig – Manchester United recap

Two teams that went deep into their European tournaments last season were not worried by the occasion.

The Bundesliga hosts took the lead through ex-Man City man Angelino, who continues to thrill in an advanced role with Leipzig.

Mason Greenwood forced a ninth-minute save out of Peter Gulacsi within minutes, United’s urgent push for an equalizer underway.

Angelino found Forsberg in the heart of the box moments later but the Swede missed just wide.

[ MORE: McKennie scores for Juve at Barcelona ]

United grew into the game near halftime and totally dominated in the early stages of the second half. The Red Devils still needed two goals with no Leipzig reply.

Fernandes had a shot blocked after the hour mark and then struck the cross bar with a 67th-minute free kick.

It was 3-0 when Wan-Bissaka’s sloppy play led to a giveaway, and Angelino’s cross was ignored by Harry Maguire in the expectation of David De Gea claiming it.

Kluivert was there to reap the rewards of United’s miscommunication.

Fernandes converted the Greenwood-won penalty and Pogba nodded a back-post header off the leg of Dayot Upamecanoo and past Gulacsi for 3-2.

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Manchester City vs Inter Milan: How to watch Champions League Final, odds, predictions

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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.

[ LIVE: Manchester City vs Inter Milan ]

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.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

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.


How to watch Manchester City vs Inter Milan live, stream link and start time

Dates: 3pm ET June 10, 2023
Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN, Paramount+


What Premier League clubs have won the treble?

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.

(UEFA.com)


Champions League Final odds (Betting odds provided by our partner, BetMGM )

BetMGM is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on BetMGM for the first time after clicking our links. 

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

QUESTIONABLE: None

Inter Milan team news, injuries, lineup options

QUESTIONABLE: Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Joaquin Correa. OUT: Dalbert.

How many times has a team won the treble? Man City goes for history

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There’s been a lot of treble talk these days, talk that’s found a new level of buzz since Manchester City moved within one win of joining the club.

It’s an elite club, by the way, of teams that have won their domestic league, top domestic cup, and the European Cup.

Nine times in history has a team won the treble, and only once has it been done by a Premier League club.

[ MORE: Recalling Zlatan’s “unicorn” career ]

That’s why Man City’s defeat of Manchester United earlier this month in the FA Cup Final rings so true for the Citizens; The blue side of Manchester would join the red side as treble supporters, as United won the treble in 1998-99.

Man City goes for the third jewel of its treble crown on Saturday versus Inter Milan in Istanbul when it kicks off the UEFA Champions League Final.

For more treble trivia, head below the jump.

How many times has the treble been won?

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.

(UEFA.com)

UEFA Champions League Final: Key battles for Inter Milan vs Manchester City

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Manchester City’s quest for the treble hits its final obstacle when Inter Milan goes toe-to-toe with the Premier League and FA Cup champions in Istanbul at Saturday’s UEFA Champions League Final.

Pep Guardiola’s weren’t at their very best against Manchester United in the FA Cup Final and still walked away with its second trophy of the season.

But City’s final two Premier League matches saw dropped points. The stakes were non-existent and the team quite changed by Guardiola, who’s known to fancy a tactical wrinkle. How will things change this weekend?

[ MORE: Man City vs Inter Milan preview, watch info ]

It would be stunning if Inter boss Simone Inzaghi came out in anything but a 3-5-2, which has been his go-to formation for Inter Milan this season regardless of opponent.

But might Inzaghi have something up his sleeve?

Inter’s only losses in the Champions League came in the group stage versus Bayern Munich. Add in their setbacks in Serie A and there’s still been no standard recipe for beating Inter. There isn’t one for Man City, either, of course.

Kevin De Bruyne vs Marcelo Brozovic

If there’s a single player capable of messing with Pep Guardiola’s plan to control the game and get the ball to his creators in dangerous spots, it’s Croatian veteran Marcelo Brozovic. The 30-year-old is a force who can both be the club’s metronome and break up the opposition’s best attacks. There are few players in the world like De Bruyne, but he needs to be found in space and City needs the ball to do that. Brozovic can be a big part of limiting both of those things.

Erling Haaland vs Francesco Acerbi

Maybe the two names need to be switched in order, because Acerbi is going to have his hands full with Haaland. The question is whether the 35-year-old Acerbi, still very good but no longer in his prime, can use his nous and vast experience to limit Haaland’s chances to do the exceptional. Haaland, meanwhile, just has to be himself. Ask yourself who’s being asked more.

Andre Onana vs Man City’s attack

Picking one player, even Haaland or De Bruyne, for this battle is unfair to the exercise because let’s be real. There is no chance that Inter Milan wins this game without a supreme moment or two from its goalkeeper. Andre Onana has played every Champions League match for Inter and has had his fair share of outstanding performances. He’s outperformed expected goals on target by 6.7 goals over the course of the tournament.

UEFA Champions League odds, predictions for Inter Milan vs Manchester City

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Erling Haaland to score a goal at -165? Man City to win at -200?

Yep, Manchester City are the clear favorites to win the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul on Saturday, and the oddsmakers are daring prognosticators to select Inter Milan as treble-ruining upstarts.

In fact, Haaland’s odds to bag a brace, at +350, are better than most players’ odds of scoring at all, with the Norwegian forward’s running mates all around him.

[ MORE UCL FINAL: How to watch | Key battles ]

The only Inter Milan player inside the top ten best odds to score on Saturday is Lautaro Martinez, with “no goal scorer” appearing before the next Inter player’s name arrives on the list (Romelu Lukaku).

How about a correct score? The most likely outcomes are, in order according to BetMGM, 1-0 Man City, 2-0 Man City, and 1-1 after 120 minutes.

And if Inter wins, the odds suggest that 1-0 is the likeliest finish (although 0-0 has better odds).


Champions League Final odds

(One of our betting partners is BetMGMBetMGM is one of our Official Sports Betting Partners and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on BetMGM for the first time after clicking our links.

Inter Milan (+500) vs Man City (-200) | Draw (+333)

Over/under: Over 3.5 goals (+200). Under 3.5 goals (-275)

Man City to lift the trophy (-450)

Inter to lift the trophy (+275)

Both teams to score (-110)


Champions League Final predictions

Inter Milan is going to surprise many with its quality of play and may even get on the board, but it’s difficult to predict anything but a Manchester City win, isn’t it? Let’s call it a fitting three goals for the treble winners, with Inter nabbing one to keep it interesting in Istanbul.