On 10 June 2023, Rodrigo’s goal was enough to beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final, helping Man City lift the European Cup for the first time in their history. 15 months after that memorable night in Istanbul, Man City will face Inter again. This time, the match will take place at the Etihad, ushering in a new era of the Champions League.
In terms of form, Man City are currently the only team in the Premier League with a perfect record after 4 matches. Star Erling Haaland is attracting attention when he has scored 9 goals - a new record in the tournament. He now has 99 goals in 103 matches in all competitions for The Citizens. That statistic alone is enough to make opponents wary.
Not only that, Pep Guardiola's team has gone 46 consecutive matches unbeaten at Etihad (39 wins, 7 draws). The challenge for Inter will be huge, as for nearly 2 years no team has been able to defeat Man City on their home ground.
For their part, Inter have had a smooth start to the season with 4 unbeaten matches (2 draws, 2 wins). The Nerazzurri are currently ranked 3rd in the Serie A standings. But the task in the Champions League against Man City will certainly be more difficult, as the opponent is in good form.
Inter Milan have won away to four English clubs (Newcastle, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool) but have never visited the Etihad. The 2022-23 Champions League final will be the first time the two sides have met.
Inter have lost just three of their last 20 Champions League games (W11 D6). However, in their previous nine outings in the competition, the Italians have only had one triumph, a 2-1 win over Tottenham in the 2018-19 season.
Expected lineup
Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland
Inter Milan: Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Augusto; Thuram, Martinez
