Manchester City begin their Champions League journey tonight with a rematch of the unforgettable 2023 final. Inter Milan is back in town, 16 months after City’s narrow 1-0 victory in Istanbul that clinched a historic treble. Though City’s quest to defend the trophy was cut short by Real Madrid last season, Pep Guardiola and his squad are determined to reclaim the crown this year.
Tonight’s showdown with the Italian champions marks the start of the revamped Champions League group stage. The competition now features a format where the top eight teams advance directly to the knockout phase, the bottom eight face elimination, and the remaining 16 teams compete in a two-legged play-off for a spot in the last 16.
City will be eager to start strong and secure a win in what promises to be one of their more challenging group fixtures. Guardiola rested several key players during the weekend’s match against Brentford, bringing on Rodri and Josko Gvardiol at halftime to ensure victory. Both are expected to return to the starting lineup for tonight’s game.
Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva, who were substituted in late against Brentford, are likely to feature against Inter. Meanwhile, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku, who remained on the bench over the weekend, may see limited action, with Jack Grealish possibly retaining his place in the squad. With a crucial Premier League clash against Arsenal looming on Sunday, Guardiola will likely manage player minutes carefully.
Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland are almost certain to start, with Ruben Dias likely rejoining the defense alongside Manuel Akanji, Gvardiol, and Kyle Walker, and Ederson taking his place in goal.
City’s projected lineup: Ederson, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Bernardo, De Bruyne, Grealish, Doku, Haaland.
