THEY say three is the magic number – and it certainly will be if Manchester City complete the Treble this season.
Pep Guardiola's men have been unstoppable in the second half of this campaign.
And City humiliating Real Madrid in the Champions League has kept them on course to create history on the blue side of Manchester.
But what is the footballing treble and has anyone pulled it off before?
What is a football Treble?
In technical terms, a footballing Treble is when a club side wins three trophies in a season – but there are different types of trebles.
A domestic Treble is when a team lifts their league title, and two cups within their country.
Read more on Man City
De Bruyne playing through ‘private’ issues after Real Madrid triumph, says Henry
Five players who could leave Man City this summer – including European hero
So for the English sides, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup would be classed as winning the Treble.
However, the 'proper' Treble that Manchester City are chasing is labelled as the continental Treble.
And to accomplish this, Pep Guardiola's men need to secure the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League all before the season ends.
What teams have won the Treble before?
Manchester City will be looking to join a list of superior teams who have achieved the continental Treble before them including their bitter local rivals.
Most read in Football
Huge footy clash abandoned as player taken to hospital after attack by fan
Italian footballers ‘gang rape student after meeting her on night out in Milan’
Former Man Utd star Jesse Lingard released as Nottingham Forest let 12 players go
Man Utd & Arsenal in huge transfer boost with ‘Declan Rice to REJECT Bayern Munich'
Manchester United's feat in 1999 is widely seen as the greatest achievement in English football history and catapulted the club to an enormous level of popularity.
- Bayern Munich x2 – Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, Champions League – 2012/13 and 2019/20
- Barcelona x2 – La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Champions League – 2008/09 and 2014/15
- Inter Milan – Serie A, Coppa Italia, Champions League – 2009/10
- Manchester United – Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League – 1998/99
- PSV – Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, European Cup – 1987/88
- Ajax – Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, European – 1971/72
- Celtic – Scottish League, Scottish Cup, European Cup – 1966/67
What has been said?
Guardiola revealed that his Manchester City side can "visualise" the Treble after pummelling Real Madrid to book their place in the Champions League final.
The City gaffer said: "Let me win the first two," said Guardiola when asked about City's chance of winning the Treble.
"In the Premier League we are close. We know we need one more game and I would say we play against our neighbours [Manchester United] and against an Italian team [Internazionale] in the finals.
"The season is really, really good, now we have to lift it. We are close and of course we are going to try.
"We are there, we can think about it, we can visualise it. We are three games away. One each of the competitions, we can do it."
Source: Read Full Article