By Manchester City begins its Champions League title defense Wednesday night, hosting Serie A champions Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium in a rematch of last season’s final.
The match marks the teams’ second-ever European encounter, following City’s narrow 1-0 victory in Istanbul last June, which secured their historic treble.
City enters the fixture in formidable form, boasting a perfect record in the Premier League after four matches. Their most recent outing saw them overcome an early deficit to defeat Brentford 2-1, thanks to a brace from Erling Haaland.
Haaland’s double not only turned the tide against Brentford but also increased his season tally to nine goals, setting a new Premier League record. The Norwegian striker now sits on 99 goals for Manchester City in just 103 appearances across all competitions.
Inter Milan, meanwhile, come into the match following a 1-1 draw against Monza in Serie A. The Nerazzurri needed a late equalizer from Denzel Dumfries to salvage a point, leaving manager Simone Inzaghi “disappointed” with his team’s missed opportunities.
Team News:
Manchester City will be without Oscar Bobb due to a leg fracture, while Nathan Ake is sidelined until mid-October with a muscle injury. Pep Guardiola is expected to hand Rodri his first start of the season, with Phil Foden also pushing for inclusion in the starting lineup.
Inter Milan travels without Federico Dimarco and Marko Arnautovic, both of whom missed Tuesday’s training session. Tajon Buchanan remains unavailable due to a fractured tibia. Inzaghi is likely to recall key players including Alessandro Bastoni, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Nicolo Barella.
Key Statistics:
– Manchester City is unbeaten in their last 23 Champions League matches.
– City has not lost at the Etihad in their last 46 games across all competitions (W39 D7).
– Inter Milan has lost only three of their last 20 Champions League matches (W11 D6).
– Erling Haaland has scored 41 goals in 39 Champions League appearances.
Possible Lineups:
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Augusto; Thuram, Martinez
The match promises to be a closely contested affair between two genuine contenders for the Champions League title. While Inter’s recent form suggests they could pose a threat, Manchester City’s exceptional home record and Haaland’s prolific scoring make them favorites to start their campaign with a victory.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM local time (3:00 PM ET) at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
