Victory in 2023 has alleviated the pressure on Manchester City to win the Champions League, but Pep Guardiola’s side enter the all-new 2024/25 iteration as the favourites to go all the way.
Real Madrid brought City’s defence to a premature end in the quarter-finals last season before going on to regain the crown the Cityzens briefly snatched from them.
City’s eight-game league phase campaign begins at home against the side they toppled in Istanbul to claim their sole Champions League crown. Guardiola will be well aware of the threats posed by an excellent Inter outfit that currently hold the Serie A title when they meet on Wednesday night.
Here’s how Man City could line up for their Champions League opener against the Nerazzurri.
Man City predicted lineup vs Inter (4-2-3-1)
GK: Ederson – Clean sheets have been of the essence since the opening weekend of the season, but Ederson is now delivering on the assists front. The Brazilian teed up Erling Haaland‘s second at the weekend.
RB: Kyle Walker – Walker was criticised for his Euro 2024 campaign, but he remains a key figure in Guardiola’s backline. Rico Lewis will eventually take the mantle, but the veteran defender is still going strong.
CB: Ruben Dias – City’s centre-backs have committed errors leading to their last two concessions, including Dias, but the Portuguese defender should return to the fold on Wednesday, replacing John Stones.
CB: Manuel Akanji – The Swiss international has been a model of consistency ever since he joined the club for a bargain price. His recovery speed will be crucial against the impressive channel-running of Marcus Thuram.
LB: Josko Gvardiol – Nathan Ake looks set for a period on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury on international duty, and Gvardiol only played the second half on Saturday, so he should be pretty fresh. Lewis is another option.
CM: Rodri – City have started impressively despite Rodri’s slow opening to the season. The dominant Spaniard earned his first minutes of 2024/25 off the bench against Brentford and could be ready for a start on Wednesday.
CM: Mateo Kovacic – Ilkay Gundogan is back at the Etihad and will certainly be considered by Pep, but Kovacic has enjoyed an excellent opening to the fresh campaign and deserves to retain his place.
RM: Bernardo Silva – There will likely be some rotation in wide areas from the hosts, especially with Arsenal visiting the Etihad on Sunday. Thus, Bernardo could return to the XI having come off the bench at the weekend. He offers unmatched control from the right flank.
AM: Phil Foden – The England international has been under the weather as of late, and he was an unused substitute at the weekend. However, Guardiola will want Foden to have minutes under his belt before Arsenal’s visit. Foden’s craftiness between the lines will test Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu.
LM: Jeremy Doku – There’s room for a little bit of chaos, right? City have personnel offering them control all over the pitch, so perhaps we could see Doku engage in a thrilling one-on-one battle with Denzel Dumfries down City’s left.
ST: Erling Haaland – Good luck, Inter. The Nerazzuri’s backline has been among the best in Europe ever since Antonio Conte took over in 2019, but they’ll be put to the test by the sport’s most in-form superstar in Haaland on Wednesday.
