Manchester City vs Inter highlights, MCI 0-0 INT, UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Nerazzurri stand strong to hold City at the Etihad

Inter stands strong and holds Manchester City to a goalless draw in their Champions League 2024-25 opener at the Etihad Stadium. 

Doku’s cross finds Gundogan, who fails to find the target once again from close distance. This one, however, was tougher than the last one. That would have a sure winner if it found the back of the net. 

Four minutes added at the end of the second-half!

Gvardiol lifts the ball to find Gundogan inside the box. It is a free-header for the German fro approximately six yards out but his header goes straight to Sommer who manages to catch the ball and hold on to it. 

Rodri finds himself with time and space and shoots for goal from an ambitious distance. But he fails to keep his effort on target like he did in the 2023 UCL final against the same opponent, which turned out to be the match-winner. 

Inter launches a counter-attack, which ends with Lautaro cutting in from the left and trying to find the far-corner with his curling effort. But he fails to get the bend on the ball and it is a straightforward stop for Ederson. 

INT sub: IN- Frattesi OUT- Calhanoglu 

MCI sub: IN- Doku OUT- Bernardo 

Gvardiol dispatches a venomous shot from the edge of the box but Sommer shows good reactions to get down quickly and palm the ball away. 

Chance - Dumfries sends a good low cross from the right. Taremi does well to get a touch and send the ball to Mkhitaryan behind him. The Armenian goes for a first-time shot but skies his effort, much to the relief of the City players. Any sort of decent connection from there and Inter would most likely have taken the lead. 

Nothing comes from the freekick. The ball is played inside the box and Akanji tried to get a proper connection but fails to do so. 

INT subs: IN- Dumfries, Pavard OUT- Darmian, Aurel Bisseck 

Grealish proves too quick to be Barella as the latter hacks down the City forward with a challenge. Man City has a freekick in a dangerous area. 

Close - Man City with undoubtedly the best chance of the match. Some quick passing inside the Inter box leads to Foden getting a shooting chance from a close distance. He takes a shot with his weaker right foot but it is straight at Sommer, who does well to get down quickly and make the save.

INT subs: IN- Lautaro, Mkhitaryan OUT- Thuram, Zielinski 

Inter gets forward in numbers as Barella tries to find a teammate in the box with a low curling cross from the edge of the box. But Akanaji does well to get to the ball first and clear it to safety. 

Bastoni takes too long to release the ball and loses the ball inside the box, with City players charging. In the end, no harm comes of it as the Inter backline recovers well to get the ball to safety. 

Inter launches a dangerous attack, which leaves the City defence exposed. But the end is unceremonious as Taremi finds Darmian, whose first touch lets him down. 

Foden, who is playing as the No. 10 now, shoots from the edge of the box, hoping to find the top-left corner but fails to keep his effort on target. Pep Guardiola applauds the early effort from his player. 

MCI subs: IN- Foden, Gundogan OUT- Savinho, De Bruyne 

Scores level at 0-0 as the Manchester City vs Inter second-half starts at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. 

Both teams with scoring chances as the match remains goalless at the break. We will be back after a short break. Stay tuned for live updates from the second-half. 

Augusto shoots at goal from a tight angle and does well to win a corner in the dying minutes of the first-half. 

Just one minute added at the end of the first-half!

Zielinski finds Thuram with a cutback from the left and the latter goes for a first-time shit from the edge of the box. However, he fails to find the target. 

Man City look to have found its rhythm and the Inter backline has been under constant pressure in the last few minutes. Inzaghi’s men are not being able to play out the ball from their area. 

Haaland sees an opening and tries to find the far-corner with a shot from the edge of the box. The effort, however, lacks power and accuracy as Sommer is relieved to see the ball roll out of play. The Inter keeper remained a spectator as the ball rolled past his goal. 

Savinho rifles in a low cross from the right. hoping to find a teammate but Acerbi makes a good block and sends it to safety. 

MCI booking: Ruben Dias sees the first yellow of the evening for his late challenge on Zielinski. 

Calhanoglu’s cross inside the City box from a freekick, finds Thuram, who heads the ball towards goal. However, Ederson matches the effort with a good save but the assistant referee raises fis flag for offside, which means it wouldn’t have counted if Thuram found the net. 

De Bruyne takes a shot at Sommer’s near-post from a tight angle but only manages to rattle the side-nettting. 

De Bruyne crosses the ball from the right with the outside of his boot. Haaland goes for a first-time shot but completely misses the ball, which rolls reaches Savinho at the far-post. The Brazilian swings his boot at it but the ball hits his shin and swings out for a Inter goalkick. 

Savinho lifts an excellent cross inside the Inter box, with Haaland getting at the end of it. The Norwegian heads the ball towards goal but it is straight at Sommer, who does well to catch it. It is the best scoring chance of the match till now. 

Inter stitches a positive attacking move, sending the City backline on a scamper but in the end, the outcome is disappointing as Thuram fails to hit the target from inside the box with a weak shot. 

It is a midfield battle at the moment with neither team creating much in the key areas. City might be the favourite to win but Inter is not shying away from taking the game to the home team. 

Savinho gets past Augusto and tries to square the ball to the middle, where Haaland has already positioned himself. But Sommer intercepts the move and catches the ball before it reaches the Norwegian. 

Inter launches a counter-attack as Taremi carries the ball inside the final third. He spreads the ball to Thuram on his right. The latter makes his way inside the box and shoots low, hoping to find the far-corner. But the effort is straight at Ederson, who collects with ease. 

Grealish gets the ball inside the box and does well to lob the ball to Haaland in the middle. Haaland tries to connect with the ball but Bastoni prevents the Norwegian from doing so with a well-timed challenge. 

Both teams are going for the counter-press in the opening minutes of the match. As expected, City with more control on the ball. 

And we are underway! Manchester City and Inter begin their Champions League 2024-25 campaign as the first-half kicks-off at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. 

Manchester City is braced for its Champions League reunion with Inter Milan at the start of an expanded tournament that will be “so tough” for the 2023 winners.

Pep Guardiola’s side beat Inter 1-0 in the final two seasons ago as Rodri’s goal clinched its first Champions League crown on a memorable night in Istanbul.

Inter visit the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday in City’s first experience of the competition’s new format, in which 36 teams compete in one table and play eight fixtures each instead of the traditional group stage with six matches.

City’s Champions League title defence was ended by eventual winners Real Madrid last season, with the Spanish side emerging victorious from a quarter-final penalty shoot-out in Manchester.

But City’s latest painful European exit stung a lot less thanks to the warm memories of its victory against Inter.

It will be fascinating to see how Guardiola goes about competing for another European title and a fifth successive Premier League crown amid the financial breaches case that could plunge the club into turmoil.

The independent commission hearing into 115 Premier League charges of alleged financial breaches against City began on Monday.

City strongly deny any wrongdoing but potentially face a severe points deduction or even expulsion from the league if the verdict, which is not expected until 2025, finds them guilty.

-AFP

LIVE TELECAST AND STREAMING INFO

When and where will the Manchester City vs Inter UEFA Champions League 2024-25 match kick off?

The Manchester City vs Inter UEFA Champions League 2024-25 match will kick off at 12:30 AM IST on September 19, Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. 

Where to watch the Manchester City vs Inter UEFA Champions League 2024-25 match?

The Manchester City vs Inter UEFA Champions League 2024-25 match will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network. 

The match will also be live streamed on the SonyLiv app and website.