Carson on track to equal stunning Maldini and Costacurta Champions League record

SCOTT CARSON is one game away from equalling a truly REMARKABLE Champions League record.

Manchester City’s third-choice keeper watched on from the bench on Wednesday evening as Pep Guardiola’s side demolished Real Madrid 4-0 at the Etihad to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory and book their place in the final.

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Carson, 37, who has played just two games in four seasons for the Premier League champions, will now head to Istanbul as part of the Sky Blues’ squad to face Inter Milan on June 10.

And a victory in Turkey would see him claim a second Champions League triumph.

The first came a stunning 18 YEARS AGO in the very same city.

Carson was the sub keeper when Liverpool came from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties in Istanbul in 2005 in what was one of the competition’s most memorable games.

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He also started for Rafa Benitez’s men in the first leg of their quarter-final against Juventus – which ended in a 2-1 win.

And a Man City triumph next month would see the English keeper achieve a feat only matched by AC Milan legends Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta.

According to Richard Jolly, Carson’s 18-year gap between Champions League wins would see him match the record for the longest period between first and last European Cups as players.

Maldini, who started the 2005 final that Carson was involved in, and Costacurta, achieved European glory five times – the first coming in 1989 and the last in 2007.

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Carson would equal that timespan with wins in 2005 and 2023.

However, his lack of game time at the Etihad pales in comparison to the iconic Maldini at Milan.

In fact, the legendary Italian defender made exactly 900 more appearances for the Rossoneri (902) than Carson has for Man City (2).

Carson has won two Premier League titles during his time in Manchester.

The ex-West Brom, Wigan, and Derby shot-stopper is out of contract at the end of the season.

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