5 talking points from Man City's final session before Champions League final
Manchester City have completed their on-pitch preparations ahead of Saturday's Champions League final, with Pep Guardiola's side having the chance to complete a famous treble win.
City have already won the Premier League and FA Cup and are hoping to become the first English team since Manchester United in 1999 to win a top-class trio of trophies. Guardiola's side trained at the Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadium on Friday, in their final session before the final.
A familiar face linked up with City for that session, as Guardiola's men prepare to take on Inter Milan on Saturday evening. Here, Mirror Football looks at five of the biggest talking points from City's final training session of their Champions League campaign.
Staying focused
In some camps, a manager may look to keep the mood light before what has become a team's biggest game of the season. But Pep Guardiola appeared to take a different strategy with his troops on Friday.
While there were some lighter moments, Guardiola remained mostly stony-faced as he watched on. The Spaniard also held regular conferences with his assistant coaches as they settle on their plan for beating Inter.
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Guardiola did get directly involved in the session, joining in with a game of keepy-uppy. But the City boss appears to be keeping his focus on the job in hand and is keeping his players feet on the ground.
HAVE YOUR SAY! What should be Manchester City's starting line-up in the Champions League final? Comment below.
A familiar face returns
Sergio Aguero was brought back to give some final pointers to the City squadGuardiola also called on a familiar face to give his team a boost in their final training session. The City boss brought in club legend Sergio Aguero, the Premier League side's record scorer, to give his squad some pointers.
Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez and Kevin de Bruyne were all spotted engaging in conversation with the Argentine. Aguero came off the bench in the only other time City have reached the Champions League final.
Having won a wealth of trophies during his time with City, the former striker is the perfect man to deliver last minute advise. It was no surprise to see him focus on the more attacking players in Guardiola's squad, with the City boss hoping it pays off on Saturday.
Guardiola's main man
Pep Guardiola embraced Erling Haaland after an animated conversationIt is clear that the signing of Erling Haaland has transformed City into a different beast this season. The Norwegian broke the record for the most goals in a single Premier League season, in an ominous debut campaign.
Guardiola has clearly prioritised keeping his top striker happy and was spotted sharing a joke with Haaland on Friday. The duo also shared a hug as Guardiola gave Haaland some animated instructions.
Ederson returns
Ederson showed off his shot-stopping skills ahead of retaking his starting spotGuardiola used back-up keeper Stefan Ortega in the FA Cup final win over Manchester United. But the City boss is set to recall first-choice Ederson back into his starting line-up for Saturday's huge game.
The Brazilian showed off his shot-stopping abilities during Friday's session as City's attackers lined up for shooting practice. While Ortega and Scott Carson were give some reps, it is Ederson who has firmly taken his place back.
Haaland gets taken out
Haaland took a tumble after colliding with crate of water bottlesIn one of the more comical moments from Friday's session, Haaland came up against one of the few things he could not overcome. As the striker attempted to volley the ball back to a team-mate, the Norwegian fell over a crate of water bottles.
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Haaland was sent crashing to the floor as he fell onto his hip and took several moments before sitting up. A member of City's coaching staff then came over to the Norwegian and lifted him back to his feet.
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