During his pre-match press conference ahead of the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter, Pep Guardiola was asked which Nerazzurri players he thinks will cause his side the most problems on Saturday night.
In response, Guardiola identified two members of Simone Inzaghi’s squad that he believes bring a touch of quality to the starting line-up.
Firstly, the City coach pointed to Inter’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana, who he believes is a perfect fit for the style in which the team plays under Inzaghi.
“For the way they play. High pressing, Onana is a great goalkeeper,” Guardiola told the press in Istanbul on Friday evening.
The Cameroonian international has been in fine form over the course of Inter’s Champions League campaign, registering eight clean sheets from the 10 matches he has played in the competition this season.
Guardiola is also a fond admirer of another member of Inter’s defensive unit. He also admitted that he has enjoyed watching: “Bastoni on the left side. The quality to link with the strikers, the ability he has for an extra pass.”
The 24-year-old centre-back has started in 11 of Inter’s 12 games in Europe in 2022-23, picking up three assists along the way in games against Barcelona, Viktoria Plzen and Benfica in the quarter-final.
“We have to try to defend, I don’t know how, but defend these connections,” Guardiola continued. “With the ball, try to attack. Difficult against five at the back, we try to find a solution to be more effective to find that solution.”