Inter Milan 2023

Coach: Simone Inzaghi

Simone Inzaghi's Inter reached the 2023 Champions League final, the first all-Italian European Cup final in over a decade, narrowly losing 1-0 to Manchester City through a second-half Rodri strike in Istanbul. Lautaro Martínez and Edin Džeko led the attack, with Nicolò Barella providing energy and creativity in midfield and a well-organised back three — a hallmark of Inzaghi's tactical setup since taking over in 2021 — built around captain and veteran centre-back Milan Škriniar. The run to the final included eliminating Portuguese side Benfica in the quarter-final and a hard-fought semi-final victory over city rivals Milan, another all-Milan European tie decided this time in Inter's favour. City's win completed Pep Guardiola's own long-awaited treble, denying Inter what would have been their first European Cup since the 2010 Mourinho-led triumph, but reaching the final at all represented a significant achievement for a squad assembled on a considerably smaller budget than most of the continent's other regular Champions League contenders, and reaffirmed Inter's status as Italy's standard-bearer in Europe for the early 2020s.