Something felt off at the Etihad.
Part of the oddness came from Manchester City sporting a fourth kit—swapping their usual colors for a “light straw” ensemble to promote their Oasis collaboration. Then there was Inter Milan, fielding two players sporting jersey numbers above 90, adding to the surreal vibe.
Empty seats didn’t help the atmosphere either. Despite the Etihad regularly selling out for Premier League games, this time the high ticket prices didn’t attract the usual crowd of locals or tourists. It seems that the excitement generated by UEFA and the clubs for this new money-making venture isn’t shared by either the players, who are playing more matches for the same pay, or the fans, who are paying more to support their team.
The lack of energy was evident in the first half, with the loudest cheers coming when Ederson made a save that briefly awakened the crowd. Ironically, the attack—a header off a free-kick—was ruled offside.
Guardiola’s loudest outburst came when he saw Ederson sending a long ball directly to Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, handing possession back to the Italian side. However, the Brazilian keeper redeemed himself later in the half with a brilliant leg save from Carlos Augusto. As the team trudged off the pitch at halftime, and with Kevin De Bruyne not returning due to injury, the match felt eerily reminiscent of City’s Champions League final against Inter in Istanbul. Despite Guardiola’s insistence that this match would be different from the 2023 final, it shared an uncomfortable similarity.
That said, the suffocating pressure of the final was absent. Inter had multiple opportunities to win the game, including a moment when Matteo Darmian broke into the penalty area only to backheel the ball to nobody instead of taking a shot. Simone Inzaghi’s frustration hit its peak when Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with 15 minutes left, blasted a chance over the bar from just a few yards out. Inzaghi threw himself to the ground, pounding the turf in disbelief.
While City didn’t dominate, they avoided disaster, and a point is still valuable for Inter heading back to Milan with seven games left. Guardiola has never lost a group stage match at the Etihad during his time at City, and on this showing, Inter could well return for the knockout stages.
One bright spot for City was Jack Grealish, who delivered his most energetic performance in a while, running at the Inter defense with intent. Although his end product was lacking, he gave the opposition plenty to think about. Ilkay Gundogan had two late chances to snatch a win, one from a leaping header and another from a flying effort that almost found the net.
Still, this performance raises concerns, especially with a critical week ahead. Despite City’s strong start to the season, this looked like a team that had already played 50 games, not five. Rodri and Phil Foden seemed off their pace, Erling Haaland was shut down for the first time since the Community Shield, and City once again gave up too many chances at the back. While some issues can be fixed before Sunday’s clash with Arsenal, others may persist.
At the very least, this game served as a reminder that City can’t afford to let their standards slip if they want to secure the biggest trophies this season. Inter and Arsenal are among the toughest opponents they’ll face, but now the upcoming trip to Bratislava in two weeks carries added pressure after dropping points at home.
Historically, winning at the Etihad has been Guardiola’s key to securing knockout qualification—it’s been five years since City last dropped points in a group stage game at home. On Sunday, City will need to raise their game once again to meet the next challenge.
