18 May 2023 , 12:05
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Legendary Italian striker Filippo Inzaghi has already given his brother the lowdown on Manchester City 's record-breaking goalmachine Erling Haaland ahead of next month's Champions League final.
Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi saw his side punch their ticket to Instanbul on Tuesday night courtesy of a 3-0 aggregate victory over their bitter rivals, AC Milan. And the Italian giants now know that they will have to outwit the current Premier League champions if they are to clinch their first European crown since 2010.
Stifling Haaland will be paramount for Inter; Manchester City's prolific marksman wasn't on target in their stunning 4-0 win over Real Madrid in midweek, but he has plundered a remarkable 52 goals already this term.
And Inzaghi's older brother, Filippo, was full of praise for Haaland earlier in the season. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport about the City star back in September, he said: "The desire with which he attacks the goal, and if he scores, he attacks even more to score again. I also really like his ability to lose his marker.
"It’s no coincidence that he has scored so many goals in the six-yard box with Manchester City during the start of the season. We would be wrong to call those goals easy: maybe the final executions are simple, but behind there is a great job in training.
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"Of course, there’s also Guardiola’s ability to enhance the characteristics of his players. Haaland is difficult to mark because if you are on him, he moves you with his body and while you try to get back into position, he’s already gone.
"And if you’re not on him, you risk only finding him when he’s celebrating. He’s very attentive to how the move unfolds, he knows he’s the focal point and focuses on that aspect with great application."
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Inter Milan boss Simeone Inzaghi's brother, Filippo, is a big fan of Erling Haaland (Getty Images)Although Manchester City will be tipped by many to claim their first ever Champions League title, Inter Milan will have designs on penning a fresh chapter in their own illustrious history.
Inzaghi was full of praise for his players after Tuesday night's triumph over AC Milan - before revealing that the club's target was just to reach the Round of 16.
Speaking to Sport Mediaset, he said:"I was asked 19 months ago to reach the Champions League Round of 16, which the club hadn’t managed it since 2011. I thought last season’s Champions League run was very good, this one even better. Nobody gave us anything for free, we faced strong opponents and earned our place in the final.
“In the next few days we might realise what happened. It was a dream at the start, but we always believed, had an extraordinary run and to win the semi-final in a derby this way is immensely satisfying. We can only praise the lads. They showed strength, determination, aggression, concentration, they were wonderful. We played four derbies since January and won all four, we know Milan are the Champions of Italy and have huge quality, but the players were excellent and deserve to enjoy this evening."