Manchester City will host Inter Milan at the Etihad on Wednesday, hoping to kick-start their UEFA Champions League campaign in style.
Manchester City will certainly be the favourites heading into the contest vs Inter Milan, and they will fancy their chances of continuing their winning run here. On paper, they are the better team, and Pep Guardiola will demand a strong performance from his players.
Meanwhile, the Serie A champions are unbeaten the season, but they have not been at their best away from home. The Nerazzurri have drawn their last two matches away from home this season, and it remains to be seen whether they can grind out a positive result here.
Manchester City are in red-hot form, and Inter Milan will have to step up their performance levels to get something out of this contest, which a replay of the 2023 UEFA Champions League final. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
The home side will be without the services of Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake. Bobb is sidelined with a leg injury, while Ake is ruled out with a thigh issue.
Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Inter Milan, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol will be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Manuel Akanji will start in the central defensive pairing alongside Ruben Dias.
As for the midfield unit, Bernardo Silva will start alongside Rodri in the double pivot. The Spanish international will look to protect the back four and break up the opposition attacks. Meanwhile, Silva will look to add creativity and control to the side.
Kevin De Bruyne will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities with his passing and vision. Savinho and Jeremy Doku will be deployed in the wide areas, and they will add pace and flair to the side. Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City vs Inter Milan.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Silva, Rodri; Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
Inter Milan
The Serie A champions will be without the services of Tajon Buchanan because of a leg injury. Other than that, Inter Milan have a fully fit squad to choose from ahead of the game vs Manchester City.
The away side are likely to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Yann Sommer in goal. In the back three, Benjamin Pavard will start alongside Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni. Apart from their defensive qualities, they will look to help Inter Milan build from the back and control the tempo of the game from the deep.
Matteo Darmian and Federico Dimarco will start as the wing-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. As for the midfield unit, Nicolo Barella will start alongside Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Hakan Calhanoglu. The three players will look to add creativity and control to the side.
Lautaro Martinez will lead the line for Inter Milan alongside Marcus Thuram vs Manchester City. Both players have been in impressive form for the Serie A champions, and they will look to make their mark here.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, DiMarco; Martinez, Thuram
Key Stats
- Manchester City have picked up five wins in a row.
- Inter Milan are unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions.
- Manchester City have won their last two matches vs Inter Milan.
- Seven goals have been scored in the last three meetings between these two teams.
- Inter Milan have conceded in each of their last two away games.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
The Manchester City striker is in sublime form right now, and he is our key player to watch out for. Haaland has scored 14 goals in eight matches across all competitions, and he will look to continue his impressive run of form and get on the score sheet here.
Inter Milan could struggle against a world-class striker like him, and Manchester City will expect him to make a defining impact here. He will look to continue his impressive run of form and punish the away defence here.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-1 Inter Milan
The Serie A champions have a quality squad, and they are no pushovers. They will look to make life difficult for the home team here, but the gulf in class between the two teams is significant. Manchester City are a far better on paper, and they are in red hot form right now.
They should be able to grind out a comfortable victory here. Both teams are likely to get on the sheet, but Manchester City should be able to pick up all three points eventually. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.