Manchester City 0-0 Inter: Post-match reaction

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Michael Plant gives his thoughts after Manchester City fail to find a way past Inter Milan in their opening game of the 2024/25 Champions League.

Transcript

00:00So it was 0-0 tonight in the Champions League game between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

00:05I think a point that City will be slightly disappointed with, albeit they'll know that

00:08Inter are a pretty solid side and a difficult opponent, perhaps the most difficult team

00:12they will play in the Champions League this season.

00:15But it was a game for Lone Spells that actually Inter defended really well, they made it really

00:18compact and really difficult to break down.

00:20They started with a 3 at the back but as soon as City got on the ball the two wing backs

00:24dropped back and made it 5.

00:26Really difficult for City to operate, to find spaces to break down.

00:28Erling Haaland struggled to get on the ball and to create too many chances.

00:32There wasn't a huge amount of opportunities for the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, although

00:34he did come off at half time, but he couldn't really pull the strings quite as effectively

00:38as he would tend to do.

00:39It was the same for Jack Grealish who I thought had a good game, had plenty of good opportunities

00:43pushing inside but he couldn't quite create that moment of magic.

00:47And of course the game against Inter Milan, famous in City folklore, of course for winning

00:52the Champions League.

00:5316 months ago that was a game that Rodri managed to provide the decisive late goal, well it

00:58wasn't the case this afternoon or this evening because Ilkay Gundogan had two late headers

01:02which he couldn't quite convert.

01:03One in particular I think could be really disappointed, that he headed right at the

01:07Inter goalkeeper Jan Sommer and Phil Foden also had two good chances as well, again right

01:12at Jan Sommer.

01:13And by the end, I think that City for long spells were happy enough keeping it tight

01:17but they really went for it in the last 20 minutes, pushed and pushed to try and get

01:20that late goal but they couldn't quite get it.

01:23I think, as I say, a point City would be slightly disappointed with, albeit I don't think they'd

01:27be too concerned about it because they'll know that Inter are probably the most difficult

01:31side they will face.

01:32Now I'm recording this video straight after the game so I don't know any update in terms

01:37of team news but Kevin De Bruyne came off at half time, went down at the end of the

01:42first half, appeared to kind of clutch his leg, seemingly picked up a knock.

01:45We'll have to find out, Pep Guardiola provides more information on that in his press conference

01:49in, well, the next 15 minutes or so.

01:51Savino also went off at half time, he's had really bad luck with injuries since he's come

01:55in in the summer so we'll have to wait and see if there's any update on both of those

01:57players.

01:58And I suppose a final point to finish off is that much of the build-up into this game

02:01has been talked about how UEFA pitched this as a new Champions League format which is

02:05going to provide more jeopardy, more entertainment and big clashes between, you know, the champions

02:10of England and the champions of Italy, as an example.

02:12On the flip side, you've got Rodri talking about, look, the players are tired, the players

02:15are burnt out and to be honest with you, I think that Rodri, his argument looks more

02:18convincing after tonight's game because for 70 minutes there wasn't a huge amount in this

02:22game, although City, as I say, did push late on to try and get back goal but, yeah, a point

02:27that City will be happy enough with, albeit perhaps disappointed they didn't get that

02:31winner in the end.

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