"You don't always get what you deserve..." - Carlo Ancelotti has sent warning to Man City and Pep Guardiola

Carlo Ancelotti’s experience has provided a warning to Manchester City ahead of the Champions League final.

On Wednesday City dealt Ancelotti’s Real Madrid a resounding 4-0 thrashing in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final to claim a 5-1 aggregate win.

Bernardo Silva netted a double as Pep Guardiola’s men overwhelmed the reigning champions in the first half. And while Los Blancos tried to rally after the break an Eder Militao own goal and Julian Alvarez stoppage-time finish proved City’s gulf in class.

Having already overcome Bayern Munich in the quarter-final, City have humbled the 14-time champions of Europe and enter the final against Inter next month as massive favourites.

Indeed, the likelihood of that being the night Guardiola’s men complete a historic treble is increasing, with the club having all but sealed the Premier League title and qualified for the FA Cup final.

Ancelotti’s warning to City

Ancelotti’s experience in the Champions League final in 2005 will provide a warning to Guardiola and his City outfit not to be complacent when taking on Inter.

The comparisons between that iteration of the final and this year’s edition are glaring. Both finals are in Istanbul at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium; both feature a clear favourite and an unfancied underdog. But famously, in 2005 things did not play out as expected.

Ancelotti led out a Milan side boasting the most storied players of the era. Starting for the Rossoneri that day were the likes of Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko, Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo.

They were taking on a Liverpool side that had beaten more favoured opposition throughout the competition, including Juventus and Chelsea, but one that had endured a difficult season domestically. Reds defender Jamie Carragher even claimed ahead of the game that Liverpool were not even as good as the one that had won the UEFA Cup Final four years earlier.

And as expected Milan raced into a 3-0 lead at halftime. It looked likely to be a rout, with Liverpool having barely laid a glove on their fabled opponents.

But the game then unravelled for Milan. Liverpool launched a comeback in the second half netting three goals in a dramatic six-minute spell to level proceedings.

The score remained 3-3 through extra time and was decided on a penalty shootout, where Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek stepped up to save two spot kicks and complete the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’.

Of course, to a younger contingent of City fans, the game may seem like ancient history. However, it serves as a warning to Guardiola’s men not to be complacent in the final against Inter.

Speaking to Sky Sports about the fateful evening, Ancelotti said in 2007: “In Istanbul, Milan played well and deserved to win the Champions League.

“But that’s football. You don’t always get what you deserve”.

City fans and players should heed Ancelotti’s warning. Football is strange.

Though Guardiola’s men play like the best team in Europe, on June 10, against a dogged Inter side, anything can happen.

Topics: Football, Premier League, Manchester City, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.