MANCHESTER, England – Inter Milan surprised many by securing a 0-0 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in their Champions League match on Wednesday, offering a bit of revenge for their narrow defeat to Guardiola’s team in the 2023 final.
The match was filled with excitement as both teams created several scoring opportunities. Manchester City struggled to break through Inter’s well-organized defense, while Inter, managed by Simone Inzaghi, were threatening on counter-attacks but lacked precision in their finishing.
Guardiola acknowledged the challenge posed by Inter, expressing satisfaction with his team’s performance despite the result. “We faced a really difficult team,” he said. “Their defense is exceptional; they help each other so well, which limits our chances.”
Inzaghi also praised his players, stating, “I told them ‘well done’, they delivered a tremendous performance. We knew we had to give our all against a top team like Manchester City.”
Star striker Erling Haaland, aiming to set a record as the fastest player to reach 100 goals for a European club, missed several chances including a close header and a low shot that went just wide.
Inter’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan almost caused a late heartbreak for City fans when he sent a powerful shot just over the bar from close range. City’s Ilkay Gundogan also had a frustrating near-miss, failing to convert from close distance in the closing moments of the match.
Overall, City had 22 shots compared to Inter’s 13, managing only one more on target with five. Defender Ruben Dias described the match as “very intense” against a formidable opponent and remained optimistic about their performance.
Under the new Champions League format, each team will play eight matches against different opponents, with the top eight automatically progressing to the last 16. Guardiola acknowledged the need for improvement, saying, “We prefer to win, but we have seven games left, and we’ll see what happens.”
Despite the draw, Manchester City remains at the top of the Premier League with a perfect record, while Inter sits third in Serie A. A concerning note from the match was the potential injury to City captain Kevin De Bruyne, who left the game early in the second half.
Guardiola mentioned he had yet to consult the medical staff about De Bruyne’s condition. City is set for another tough match on Sunday when they face Arsenal, who trail them by two points in the league standings.
Manchester City had secured their first Champions League title in 2023, defeating Inter, who were eliminated in the earlier rounds last season by Atletico Madrid.