Manchester City kick off their Champions League campaign with a home fixture against Inter Milan in what should be an entertaining and exciting encounter at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola will be hoping to secure an early qualification for the knockout stages ahead of potentially tricky outings against Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain later in the competition.
City reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last year before losing to Real Madrid in a penalty shootout and the 2023 champions will be hoping to better that finish during this newly revamped tournament. They will play an initial eight games and try to finish inside the top eight of a league table to automatically qualify for the next round. As one of the favourites, City should be able to get this done.
Inter Milan, who City famously defeated 1-0 in the 2023 Champions League final, are unbeaten in Serie A so far. They have won two and drawn two of their four games and sit second in the table. The Italian side are in good form and have the skills and history to challenge City.
Follow all the action from the Etihad Stadium with our live blog below:
Man City v Inter Milan LIVE
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Manchester City host Inter Milan in the first round of the Champions League
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Kick off is at 8pm with the match broadcast live on TNT Sports
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The game is a repeat of the 2023 Champions League final which saw City win 1-0
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Man City XI: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Savinho, Grealish, Haaland
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Inter Milan XI: Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zieliński, Carlos Augusto; Thuram, Taremi.
Team news – Inter Milan
18:51 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Changes at the back for Inter Milan, with Yann Aurel Bisseck, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni all brought in to a new-look defensive trio from the draw against Monza. Lautaro Martinez is only on the bench.
Inter Milan XI: Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zieliński, Carlos Augusto; Thuram, Taremi.
Team news – Manchester City
18:47 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Erling Haaland, a goal away from 100 in a Manchester City shirt, starts up front with Pep Guardiola going with a strong side.
Manchester City XI: Ederson; Lewis, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol; Rodri; Savinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland.
Tonight’s #UCL squad! 📋
XI | Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Savinho, Grealish, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Walker, Stones, Kovacic, Doku, Gundogan, Nunes, Foden, McAtee#ManCity pic.twitter.com/aqXzNJJYW5
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 18, 2024
A defensive midfielder winning the Ballon d’Or? Why Rodri’s win would be a historic moment
18:40 , Mike Jones
There has been one goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, and a trio of defenders, though Fabio Cannavaro was more of a stopper than the German midfielders, Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer, who were converted into sweepers.
But there has never been a defensive midfielder. The Ballon d’Or is almost seven decades old and Rodri, the man who earned Manchester City their first Champions League, could be a history maker in another respect.
A trophy that had seemed the private property of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for a decade and a half may have an unlikely winner. Rodri ranks as second favourite, behind Vinicius Junior, for a prize he never imagined he might secure.
A defensive midfielder winning the Ballon d’Or? Why Rodri’s win would be historic
‘It is impossible to sustain’: Rodri speaks out on increase to the schedule
18:35 , Mike Jones
The 28-year-old midfielder spoke about his already heavy workload to argue he is playing too much in light of the fixture schedule increasing with expanisons to the Club World Cup and Champions League.
He said: “From my experience I can tell you that 60-70 [games per season is right]? No. Between 40-50 is the amount of games in which a player can perform in the highest level, after that you drop because it is impossible to sustain the physical level.
“This year we can go to 70, maybe 80, I don’t know. It depends how far you go in the competitions. In my humble opinion I think it is too much. I think we have to take care of ourselves. Someone has to take care of ourselves because we are the main characters of this sport or business or whatever you want to call it.
“Not everything is money or marketing, it is also the quality of the show. When I am not tired I perform better and if the people want to see a better football, we need to rest just something to put in there. When the amount of games starts getting bigger, the performance and quality are lower. Lets see where football goes. I would prefer to have less games and a better quality show for the people, that’s for sure.”
Rodri warns players could strike over increase in fixtures
18:30 , Mike Jones
Rodri believes that top footballers are close to going on strike because they are overworked as the schedule increases.
Manchester City could play up to 75 games this season with the expansion of the Champions League and the new Club World Cup next summer, while international football could take the possible maximum for someone to 85 matches.
The midfielder urged football’s governing bodies to think of something other than money as he warned that players may not have an alternative but to go on strike.
“I think we are close to that,” he said. “I think it’s the general opinion of the players. And if it keeps [going] this way, there will be a moment where we have no other option.”
‘I keep all the balls’: Harry Kane breaks Wayne Rooney’s Champions League record with rare hat-trick
18:25 , Mike Jones
Harry Kane was delighted to be in the same “conversation” as Wayne Rooney after breaking his Champions League record in style.
The Bayern Munich striker went into Tuesday night’s clash with Dinamo Zagreb needing one goal to equal Rooney’s record for an Englishman of 30 in the competition’s main draw.
Ninety minutes later, the current England captain was three ahead of one of his predecessors having plundered four goals in a 9-2 win at the Allianz Arena, three of them from the penalty spot.
Harry Kane breaks Wayne Rooney’s Champions League record with rare hat-trick
Pep Guradiola on Erling Haaland
18:20 , Mike Jones
The Manchester City boss spoke about his key striker Erling Haaland saying that he is still evolving and improving despite being one of the best forwards in the world.
Guardiola said: “He can evolve, but if you tell me in the next 100 games he scores another 99 goals, for me, it’s fine. I don’t expect he scores two or three in every game; it’s not a problem if that doesn’t happen, but the difference from last season is he feels good.
“Opponents will find a solution to control the number of goals and we have to find a solution to beat them.
“As many games as he plays at this club, he will improve naturally. I played for 11 years as a professional and I scored 11 goals. This guy [has] scored nine in four [this season]. He can equal me in one game.”
‘We must be outstanding’ says Sommer
18:15 , Mike Jones
The Inter Milan goalkeeper added: “We must put in an outstanding performance against one of the best teams in Europe. We must try to play a great game.
“A new season has started and we don’t expect gifts from the opponents. We’ll need hard work and a big heart for a big Champions League campaign. It’s our target.”
Yann Sommer on prospect of facing Erling Haaland
18:10 , Mike Jones
Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer spoke in his pre-match press conference about facing Manchester City and how he plans to deal with Erling Haaland who has been in unbelievable form so far this season.
Sommer said: “We’ll face an excellent team with a formidable striker, but City are not only Haaland. He receives passes from his team-mates and we have prepared for this game in the best way.
“I am convinced we can do well because we defend well and keep tight spaces.”
New-look Champions League shows football’s biggest problem right from the start
18:05 , Mike Jones
After such a grand build-up, the new Champions League’s opening night didn’t exactly suggest new excitement – or much unpredictability at all. Every single one of the pre-match favourites won. At least five of them, and arguably six, did so in a very comfortable manner. Bayern Munich went beyond comfort. They eviscerated Dinamo Zagreb 9-2, a result that should be very damaging for a launch night. It was worse than what came before.
Even if you argue that game at the Allianz was a mismatch that the competition itself is supposed to help in bridging, well, you only have to look at the night’s marquee fixture. Liverpool breezed past Milan in a 3-1 that could have been a 6-1. Rather than a grand restaging of previous finals between historic giants, it was merely a showcase of profound modern problems with the game’s economic framework.
The Champions League itself, of course, has been a powerful engine in creating this disparity. It’s another reason this doesn’t bode well.
New-look Champions League shows football’s biggest problem right from the start
Manchester City vs Inter Milan prediction
18:00 , Mike Jones
Manchester City are in flying form with Erling Haaland in particular looking as hungry and dangerous as ever.
City will want to start the European campaign strongly and buoyed on by their home crowd they will have enough quality to break down a decent Inter Milan side and claim the win.
Man City 2-0 Inter Milan.
Predicted line-ups and latest odds
17:55 , Mike Jones
Here’s how we see the two teams lining up this evening:
Man City XI: Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Stones, Lewis; Kovocic, Gundogan; Savinho, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland
Inter Milan XI: Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Augusto; Darmian, Frattesi, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
It’s also no surprise that Manchester City are the overwhelming favourites to win this one. Check out the latest odds below:
Man City to win 4/9
Draw 13/5
Inter Milan to win 9/2
What is the Inter Milan team news?
17:50 , Mike Jones
For Inter Milan, Davide Frattesi and Stefan de Vrij both returned from injury against Monza on Sunday and are back in contention. Nicolo Barella was on the bench so could get the nod to face City, but Tajon Buchanan remains out.
What is the Man City team news?
17:45 , Mike Jones
Pep Guardiola hopes Savinho doesn’t have a muscle injury having been brought off early against Brentford at the weekend. Phil Foden has missed three matches due to illness but has resumed training yet will probably not be available for the game.
Rodri returned in the second half against the Bees and may have a bigger role this evening while Erling Haaland is expected to start once more. Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake are injured.
Is Man City vs Inter Milan on TV?
17:40 , Mike Jones
Manchester City vs Inter Milan will be shown live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with coverage starting at 7pm BST. Subscribers can also watch the match via the Discovery+ app and website.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is Man City vs Inter Milan?
17:35 , Mike Jones
The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 18 September at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Manchester City kick off Champions League campaign
17:30 , Mike Jones
Man City start their Champions League campaign with a home fixture against Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The competition has undergone some changes this season with a new league table replacing the group stages. A draw has been made to determine which teams play each other with Pep Guardiola’s side taking on Inter in the first of eight fixtures that also feature Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
City defeated Inter Milan in the 2023 Champions League final and will be hoping to do so again this evening to kick off their campaign with a win. However, Inter are unbeaten in Serie A this year having won two and drawn two of their four games.
They are in good form and have the skills and history to take the game to Man City and possibile cause an upset against the Premier League champions.
Good evening!
14:42 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Champions League action as Manchester City get their league phase underway with a testing encounter against Inter Milan.
The match is a repeat of the 2023 Champions League final in which City proved victorious. Pep Guardiola will be hoping for a similar result tonight in order to match the successes of Aston Villa and Liverpool yesterday.
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 8pm.
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