At Etihad Stadium, Manchester City’s Champions League campaign got off to a frustrating start as they were held to a goalless draw by the very determined and strong Inter Milan team.
Guardiola said, “We faced a really difficult team,” whose side failed to score in a Champions League match for the first time since October 2022.
“I’m still really, really satisfied with the game we played, especially with how Inter defended; they are masters of that, so big, they help each other unbelievably. So you cannot expect to create a lot of chances.”
Kevin de Bruyne’s injury, which forced him off the field at halftime, did not help Pep Guardiola’s team, who says he will have to consult with the team’s medical staff to determine the full extent of the problem. However, the Italian opponents for City were well worth the draw.
Inter displayed excellent organization and an attacking threat in the second half. Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer stopped a shot from Phil Foden, who replaced the injured De Bruyne in the second half, and also stopped a shot from Josko Gvardiol. Sommer played brilliantly the entire time.
Erling Haaland, who was aiming to score his 100th goal for the home team, was mainly kept silent. Both teams had opportunities to take the lead but were unable to take advantage of them. Despite having nine goals in his first four Premier League games of the season, Haaland was unable to penetrate Inter’s resolute defense because he was well confined and frequently complained to the referee about how he was being handled.
Coach Simone Inzaghi was left in frustration as Inter wasted numerous good opportunities. Former Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, another former star at Old Trafford, missed good scoring opportunities.
However, City came dangerously close to a thrilling late winner as Ilkay Gundogan had two headed opportunities in the box and Foden fired straight at Sommer following a lovely move.
Before Sunday’s crucial league matchup between City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium, there was cause for concern as De Bruyne sustained an injury late in the first half and was unable to play in the second half. Guardiola won’t want to lose the Belgian midfielder’s influence for a game that could decide who is ranked first or second in the table, so he will be hoping that this was just a minor knock and that his removal was a precaution.
This was the first time in 40 Champions League home group games that City has failed to score and the second time in two and a half years that City has not scored at Etihad Stadium, the other being the goalless draw against Arsenal last season.
Image credit: @Inter via X