It ended 0-0 in a rare non-scoring match for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City against Inter Milan. The draw in the Champions’ League group stage is only their second in 42 fixtures at home under Guardiola. The chances they created, primarily through Ilkay Gundogan in the latter stages, were simply not enough to overcome an in-form Inter defense.
Inter, on the other hand, had a good, clear game plan that kept City at bay while posing a constant threat on the counterattack. At times, both teams were extremely frustrating, and by the end of the game, neither team could find a way past the other.
Inter Milan’s resilience
Right from the start, Inter Milan under Simone Inzaghi felt they were not there to sit tight and hope to get through. The Italian club’s performance at Etihad Stadium was significantly more aggressive than anticipated. Inter, participating in the extended “Swiss model” league stage of the new Champions League format, demonstrated a willingness to take risks and win, rather than simply collecting points.
And that attitude also showed in the boldness of their attack. Despite having to contain City’s potent attack, they continued to push forward on the break, with players like Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez constantly looking to create something in the final third.
Still, Inter’s best shot at the game came when former Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian confounded his own coach by making an odd decision to attempt a backheel when clean through on goal in the second half. Instead of a shot, Darmian’s trickery goes for naught as he faces Inzaghi’s frustration.
Inter’s defensive discipline was also on full display. Erling Haaland was quietened, with Inter going all in to their three-man defense. Yann Sommer, the Inter goalkeeper, did enough thereafter to see that a win for Inter did not slip out at the tail end, as he made crucial saves to deny City from snatching a win. Denying City the ability to play wide, the inability to break apart Inter, particularly Jack Grealish, added to City frustration.
Manchester City’s battles
Given their outstanding home record in the Champions League under Guardiola, many expected Manchester City to win this match. However, an Inter team with a defensive setup that refused to budge dismayed City from their fluid attack. Even though Haaland had a decent chance in the first half and Gundogan had two chances late in the game, City failed to breach Intern’s well-structured defensive line.
One of the key moments came at the very end of the first half, when City’s creative maestro Kevin De Bruyne seemed to be in some distress following a blocked shot. Having only recently recovered from a significant hamstring injury, De Bruyne’s withdrawal at halftime deprived City of one of its key players. Cutting up, as De Bruyne does so often for City, without him on the field, the club lacked that little bit of creativity sometimes needed to unlock an entity as formidable as Inter.
Guardiola made substitutions at halftime, bringing on Phil Foden and Ilkay Gundogan, but the changes didn’t produce the desired outcome, and even Jeremy Doku, who was introduced later in the game, had no discernible impact.
The defensive masterclass of Inter
The most impressive thing is that Inter has turned around defensively. It’s not just defenders who are running hard. Midfielders and forwards went deep as well, creating frustration in a team that wanted to find ways into the Italian defense.
Erling Haaland, the Norwegian goal machine, managed to score eight goals in his last three matches. The specific harassment that Intern’s top center-back tandem, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni, could bring into the equation sharply reduced Haaland’s space and therefore his ability to position himself properly in the box. In this kind of deep blocking and bruising Italian-style defending, Inter just happens to be one of the hardest teams in all of Europe to break down.
City did have moments where they could have pushed open Inter, especially in wide areas. Yet, stationed on the left wing, Jack Grealish has looked almost too safe with the ball at times, which straightens out the flow of City’s attacks. Without De Bruyne’s crosses and Savino’s dribbling, City lacked the directness to quickly stretch Niter’s defiance.
Concerned about Kevin De Bruyne?
However, Manchester City must address De Bruyne’s fitness issues before the upcoming season. The Belgian midfielder began the season on song, but there have always been fitness problems rearing their heads, the last one being a hamstring problem last season. Now, though his exit in the second half was precautionary, it would be fascinating to know how De Bruyne handles regular Champions League matches during midweek and weekend Premier League matches.
Phil Foden, of course, replaced De Bruyne at halftime and has shown some outstanding moments with central roles before, but he’s not the same type of player. City lacked De Bruyne’s vision and was unable to dictate play from deeper areas because of the dynamic and direct nature of Foden. It’ll be fascinating to see how Guardiola plays De Bruyne carefully in order to prevent further missed games because of injury.
Ederson is back to his best.
Ederson, who plays on the defensive side for City, had a reasonable stint. It is fair to say he had a very quiet start to the season, partly due to a fractured eye socket, which kept him out of the Copa America but looked fairly back into top gear. His distribution was as sharp as ever, and he made countless saves to keep Inter from scoring.
Ederson might not be the best shot stopper in world football, but tonight he showed he can be. Against the run of play and the way City often have their goalkeeper exposed, this victory will bring a degree of relief for Guardiola, knowing that, ultimately, the Brazilian is returning to his best.
Conclusion: A Frustrating Night for City
In the end, Manchester City may have been disappointed to return home with just a point from what appeared to be a completely one-sided match at home under Guardiola in Europe. Inter will take a feel-good factor from this, knowing they not only held City but also created several good chances for themselves.
For Guardiola’s side, a draw is a reminder that the most dominant teams can sometimes founder against well-drilled and resolute defensive units. Both teams have more group stage matches in the future, and knowing what is at stake in their group, they will come out looking to build on this performance, but the stalemate at the Etihad leaves much for both sides to ponder.
