Manchester City vs Inter Milan

Etihad Stadium forms the backdrop for a mouth-watering 2024/25 Champions League opening-day clash between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

Perennial Premier League champions Manchester City embark on the newly formatted league phase against a side they defeated in the 2023 en route to their first and only Champions League title. A 1-0 victory in that Istanbul final forms part of Man City’s formidable run of 23 unbeaten Champions League games inside 90 minutes (W16, D7). Pep Guardiola’s side failed to defend the title in 2023/24 as Real Madrid bested them in the quarter-finals on penalties. With Erling Haaland in red-hot form, they’ll look to improve on last season’s result as the Norwegian superstar leads the scoring charts in the Premier League this term with nine goals. Haaland has scored more goals alone than any other team in England’s top flight, inspiring Man City to a perfect four-game league start (W4).

However, Man City’s underwhelming record across their last 13 European clashes against Italian clubs (W5, D5, L3) gives reigning Scudetto hopes Inter Milan hope they could settle the score this week. Simone Inzaghi’s charges have yet to lose at the start of their Serie A title defense, but their performances have lacked conviction (W2, D2). ‘I Nerazzurri’ can take heart from scoring a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Monza at the weekend as they look to strengthen their impressive record of losing just three of their last 20 Champions League outings (W11, D6). If Inter post an unlikely triumph at the Etihad, they will join a select group of only three clubs to win away at five different English teams in the Champions League following a narrow 1-0 victory at Liverpool on their last visit to the country in March 2022.