Inter Milan once again present themselves as the ‘bogeyman’ of this new Champions League: “We want to show that we can challenge the best”
Rarely is starting off with a draw a reason to get excited. But doing it against a Manchester City, who have gone six years without losing at home in Europe and were left without scoring for the first time at the Etihad since 2022 It is the confirmation that Inter Milan is once again the bogeyman of this new Champions League.
Guardiola and Inzaghi, greeting each other
The tactical duel between Guardiola and Inzaghi was worthy of two strategists who tried to measure every detail down to the last detail. However, just as it happened in the 2023 final, although the coin did not fall in their favor, The feeling for much of the match was that Inter was much more comfortable… despite not having key players such as Benjamin Pavard, Henrik Mkhitaryan or Lautaro Martínez at the start. Dimarco was also out due to injury.
“Inter is a wonderful team. They defend and counterattack very well. I liked everything about my team because I knew what we were up against. They are not the champions of Italy by chance”admitted Pep Guardiola once the match was over.
They are not the champions of Italy by chance
The tactical plan that Simone Inzaghi proposed was up to what he is: one of the best coaches in Europe. And it is that, except in the last minutes, it is not that Inter did not suffer. It is that had several opportunities to take the victory Brilliantly overcoming the suffocating pressure after Manchester City’s loss, proving that they are one of the best counterattacking teams in the world.
“We enjoyed playing against City. We showed that we can compete well against a great team. We want to show that we can challenge the best in Europe”were the words of a Hakan Calhanoglu who emptied himself into the engine room.
We want to show that we can challenge the best in Europe
So much so that Pep Guardiola was forced to change his initial plan at half-time, bringing on Ilkay Gündogan and Phil Foden with the clear aim of protecting themselves more with the ball. Proof of this is that, since Monaco in 2017, There has never been a team that has created more chances for Manchester City in the first 45 minutes of a Champions League match.
“The team worked hard and did well. We had opportunities to hurt City, especially in the first half. It’s never easy to play at their stadium. It was a great performance.”Simone Inzaghi admitted in the mixed zone: “We reached the final two years ago and we continue to work hard. We have shown that we can compete even against a top team like City”said Barella, who was named UEFA’s ‘MVP’ of the match.
We reached the final two years ago and we continue to work hard.
There were a lot of people waiting for Inzaghi’s men after their elimination against Atlético de Madrid in the round of 16 of the last edition. However, due to the quality of the squad, the maturity of the project and its chameleon-like model, Inter Milan made it clear again at the Etihad that they are currently only behind Real Madrid and Manchester City.
