UEFA Champions League: Manchester City vs Inter Milan Preview

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UEFA Champions League: Manchester City vs Inter Milan live

Preview: Manchester City vs Inter Milan

Manchester City begins their 2024-25 Champions League journey with an exciting match against Serie A champions Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday at 7:00pm GMT. Manchester City will be looking to kick off their campaign for a second Champions League title by defeating Inter, and their impressive 23-match unbeaten streak in this tournament over 90 minutes (with 16 wins and 7 draws) should definitely boost their confidence.

Pep Guardiola reacts during a press conference ahead of the Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League match.
Pep Guardiola reacts during a press conference ahead of the Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League match.

The start of the domestic season for City has been nearly perfect, with four victories in their first four league games. However, it’s important to mention that the Cityzens have not historically performed well against Serie A teams, achieving only five wins in their last 13 encounters with Italian clubs (drawing 5 & losing 3). Notably, four of those victories came in their last five matches against such teams.

Rodri during a press conference ahead of the Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League match.
Rodri during a press conference ahead of the Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League match.

Pep Guardiola’s team has also extended their impressive unbeaten streak at the Etihad to 46 games (winning 39 & drawing 7) and is preparing for three additional home matches across different competitions within a week. This includes a Champions League match against Inter on Wednesday, followed by Premier League and EFL Cup games against Arsenal and Watford.

Inter Milan have started their domestic season without a loss, but their performance has been somewhat underwhelming with 2 wins and 2 draws, with their most recent result being a 1-1 draw against Monza on Sunday. However, the return of key defender Stefan de Vrij from injury has strengthened Simone Inzaghi’s squad as they aim to build on their solid recent performance in this competition, having lost only three of their last 20 UCL matches (winning 11 & drawing 6).

Simone Inzaghi during a press conference ahead of the Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League match.
Simone Inzaghi during a press conference ahead of the Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League match.

If they win this match, the Nerazzurri could join an exclusive group of European clubs, becoming only the fourth team, alongside Barcelona (7), Real Madrid (5), and Bayern Munich (5), to achieve victories against five different English teams in the UCL, with their last win being a 1-0 victory at Liverpool in March 2022.

Marcus Thuram in action during a training session ahead of the Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League match.
Marcus Thuram in action during a training session ahead of the Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League match.

Head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between the two teams since the 2023 Champions League final, which was their only prior European clash. In that match, Rodri netted the crucial goal in a tight 1-0 win in Istanbul, leading the Citizens to achieve a historic treble.

Prediction

An intense battle is expected between these two contenders on Wednesday evening, with Manchester City being the favorites due to their outstanding home performance. Although City has been allowing goals in recent matches, which could benefit Inter, Guardiola’s squad has relied on Haaland’s scoring ability. If he maintains his impressive form in front of goal on Wednesday, the home team is likely to find a way to win.

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