UEFA have raised eyebrows by accidentally tweeting that Real Madrid will play Inter Milan in the Champions League final – before Los Blancos have even kicked off against Manchester City. However, UEFA also tweeted that City will play Inter in a separate tweet before realising their error that both posts had gone out ahead of schedule and promptly deleted them.
The semi-final tie between City and Real is finely poised with the scores tied at 1-1 between the two sides ahead of the second leg at the Etihad. A final clash with Inter awaits the winner with the victors likely to go into the final has big favourites given their comparable quality on paper.
However, UEFA raised eyebrows ahead of kick-off by tweeting two separate posts suggesting both Real and City had already made it to the final as they promoted a competition to win tickets to the showpiece in Istanbul. The tweet relating to Los Blancos’ win went viral leading to light-hearted suggestions that the result had been ‘leaked’.
Both tweets were later deleted by European football’s governing body after they realised their error with the explanation likely to be nothing more than a simple scheduling mistake – but that did not stop fans having their fun on social media.
City are narrow favourites to progress to the final after Kevin de Bruyne’s excellent strike at the Bernabeu took the tie back to Manchester on level terms. However, it will not be easy to beat the La Liga giants who have a fearsome reputation in the Champions League and will still fancy their chances.
Pep Guardiola has been keen to encourage his players to enjoy the moment as they look to reach the final for just the second time in the club’s history.
“I have told the players to enjoy the moment – we are incredibly lucky to be here,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “It’s in our hands, it depends on us, we don’t have to do something exceptional – just win one game to reach the final.
“I have an incredible feeling about them. Whatever happens – thank you so much to them for bringing me and the City fans here again.”
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti was also keen to encourage his players with the club on the verge of another big moment.
“We are close to doing something important,” he said. “We are full of hope, motivated. It is going to be tough tomorrow but sometimes we get the most out of ourselves in difficult situations.
“The plan is the same as ever, to try and get as much out of the players [as possible]. I think we can do better than we did in the first leg, but I think they do too.
“The match is unpredictable. If you think you are the best team in the world, it doesn’t mean you are 100% sure to win. It is not just about quality, it is about personality and mentality.” Kick-off at the Etihad is at 8pm with the match broadcast live on BT Sport.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.