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.
FOLLOW: Manchester City vs Inter Champions League 2024-25 LIVE updates
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
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Manchester City: Ederson(gk); Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Doku, Rodri, Kovacic, Savinho; Silva, De Bruyne; Haaland.
Inter: Sommer(gk); Bastoni, Acerbi, Pavard; Dimarco, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Barella, Darmian; Thuram, Martinez
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