Manchester City are acutely aware of how formidable Inter can be. The pinnacle of City’s history, their Champions League final victory over Inter in 2023, was fraught with challenges; the tense moments have only enhanced the legend. This served as another testament to the quality of Simone Inzaghi’s Italian champions, albeit without the same level of drama. The City supporters were eager to witness Erling Haaland’s latest bid to etch his name in the history books. A goal would have made him the fastest player to reach 100 goals for a club, narrowly surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for Real Madrid. Haaland’s 104th game for City stood in contrast to Ronaldo’s 105. The Norwegian was largely invisible, save for a few fleeting first-half moments; he remains on 99 goals ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal. City, too, were underwhelming, nearly snatching victory in stoppage time when substitute Ilkay Gündogan’s header was saved by Yann Sommer from close range. The German came close again with a diving header.
It would have been harsh on Inter, who created good chances but, as in Istanbul, lacked the cutting edge, consistently missing the final decisive action. At least they had something to show for their well-calibrated performance. One of the standout features, particularly in the first half, was how they exploited City on the counter. They also defended as an Italian team should. Inzaghi had insisted this was not a rematch, a night for revenge, although few believed him. The history was impossible to ignore, especially with the highlights of the final replayed on the Etihad’s big screen before kick-off, Rodri’s goal shown from every angle. City wore cream/light peach shirts, part of a collaboration with Oasis. They aimed to play high and dominate possession, as always. Yet, it was challenging because Inter—as in Istanbul—were well-drilled in their 3-5-2 system, moving smartly and comfortably in and out of possession. Inter compressed the space in their defensive third when City pushed, and there were times before the interval when Inzaghi’s team breezed through City with surprising ease. With Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne taking high positions, Inter saw inviting spaces between the lines. If only they could have timed some of their runs better in the first half—the offside flag was their enemy—or been more clinical with their shooting. Marcus Thuram was the main culprit.
It was nearly but not quite for Inter before the interval, Inzaghi agonizing in his technical area, including when Thuram failed to connect with a cut-back from Piotr Zielinski. And when Ederson denied the overlapping Hakan Calhanoglu at the near post. Inter could also point to the moment when Mehdi Taremi chipped for goal with Ederson out of position, after a loose clearance. Josko Gvardiol headed clear. Guardiola sprinted for the dressing room at half-time because there was much to discuss. The first half had been a slog for City. There was a lack of thrust in the final third, albeit Savinho had the beating of Carlos Augusto for pace. City’s best chance from the first period came when De Bruyne cut back from the left and Silva could not sort out his feet. Haaland sent one header straight at Sommer and dragged a shot narrowly wide.
Guardiola reshaped his midfield for the second half, introducing Phil Foden and Gündogan in the attacking central roles, and moving Silva to the right. Off came Savinho and De Bruyne, who had needed treatment after a coming together with Sommer. It was only Foden’s second appearance of the season as he has struggled with illness. It was subdued for long spells, the home crowd longing for a spark and left to fret as Inter continued to look for the counter-punch in the second half. Inzaghi thought they had landed it in the 53rd minute when Taremi cut in from the left and sent Matteo Darmian scampering up the inside right into the area. He had to shoot and yet he looked for a backheeled pass which was never on. Cue another Inzaghi meltdown. The Inter manager was on his knees, beating the ground, when the substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan banged high after a low cross from another replacement, Denzel Dumfries. The Armenian ought to have done better. City went close when Foden blasted straight at Sommer and Gvardiol also worked the goalkeeper. They refused to accept that a first 0-0 here since Arsenal’s visit in March was their destiny. They pushed at the end, Gündogan getting into dangerous areas. The big chance came from a Gvardiol cross but his placement was poor. When his second header flew off target, Inter had the point they deserved.
