Manchester City Frustrated As Inter Refuses To Give In To Pressure
Bringing together the best clubs on the continent more frequently prior to the knockout stage was one of the selling points of the new, extended Champions League format.
Although a rematch of the 2023 final, which City won 1-0, did not particularly raise spirits, Inter will believe that they should have dealt Pep Guardiola’s team their first home loss in six years in Europe.
Fifteen minutes remaining, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored the finest chance of the game with a rocket. With four straight victories to begin their Premier League championship defence, City has seemed unstoppable, but they were unable to find their rhythm as Inter held out.
After his efforts in helping Spain win Euro 2024, Rodri—who scored the game-winning goal when the teams met in Istanbul fifteen months ago—was put back into City’s starting lineup for the first time this season.
Inter was calm in possession despite his presence, frequently piercing the City defense, but they lacked the serenity to capitalize in the last third. Simone Inzaghi preferred Marcus Thuram and Mehdi Taremi up front, leaving captain Lautaro Martinez on the bench.
In the first half, Thuram had the finest opportunity for the visitors to score, but he sidefooted wide from the edge of the box.
Erling Haaland, on the other hand, was finding Inter much more difficult to score against than he had in his previous four Premier League outings this season.
With Yann Sommer left stranded, the Norwegian attempted a low shot that narrowly missed the post just before halftime, coming the closest to ending the draw. Sunday’s Premier League match between City and Arsenal is at the top of the standings.
Just before halftime, Kevin De Bruyne hobbled off when Sommer rejected his attempted cross. Guardiola substituted Savinho and the Belgian at halftime, opting instead for Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden to infuse fresh energy into the City offense.
Still, there were few opportunities for either side as the cagey pattern persisted. When Matteo Darmian overhit a backheel while attempting to locate Nicolo Barella, he squandered a rare opportunity, causing his manager to lose his cool.
After a clever move featuring Jack Grealish and Gundogan set up Foden, who pushed Sommer into his first significant save 20 minutes from time, City’s glut of offensive quality finally came to life. Inter almost delivered the decisive blow to cap off a mature away effort.
After Denzel Dumfries ran clear down the right, Mkhitaryan, a former Manchester United player, wonderfully caught his deflected cross and missed the goal.
Then, with the last play of the match, Gundogan had the opportunity to steal the win as he headed over Jeremy Doku’s cross. The spoils were split, but neither team could claim they had done enough to earn all three points.
References and Citation
channelstv.com – Man City Blunted By Inter In Champions League Stalemate
france24.com – Man City blunted by ‘giant performance’ Inter in Champions League stalemate
today.rtl.lu – Man City held by Inter as PSG pinch win in Champions League
ground.news – Man City 0-0 Inter Milan: Champions League favourites held to flat draw amid Kevin De Bruyne injury scare
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