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Man City Vs Inter Milan Preview: Champions League Lineups, Team News, Predictions & More (Bonus Episode)
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The 2024/25 Champions League matchday one group stage fixture between Man City and Inter Milan takes place on Wednesday 18 September at 21:00 CET in Manchester at the Etihad.
Carlo Garganese and Nima Tavallaey preview the big game. We look at the probable XIs, injuries and suspensions, and break down the game tactically before offering our predictions.
This is a bonus preview episode of The Italian Football Podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google podcasts.
To listen to this & all other full episodes of The Italian Football Podcast (with no ads), go to Patreon.com/TIFP OR now also available on Spotify to become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
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Transcript
Introduction to the New Champions League Format
00:00:04
Speaker
focast hello everybody and Welcome to the italian football podcast i'm carlo gargganeszi joined as always by nima savalli today we are previewing match day one of the champions league manchester city against inter at the etihad stadium a rematch of the 2023 Champions League final in this newly formed revolutionized ah Champions League 36 team group.
Special Show for Season Preview
00:00:35
Speaker
Each team play in eight matches instead of six against eight different opponents if you want to
00:00:40
Speaker
to to understand that how the new format works in full and get a full preview of the new Champions League season as a whole. Then do check out the the show it's a special show that's Nimr and myself put together.
Early Season Performance: City and Inter
00:00:54
Speaker
It's on all of our podcast apps or or you can watch us on youtube so do check that out if you want more more detail and more ah information on all of that but today we're going to be just previewing the the first game of the new match day of the new season in match day one between city and and and intel recording this before um the weekend ah
00:01:19
Speaker
the the weekend league matches in the Premier League and in Serie A and before that and City have made a perfect starts the season 100% record and Inter have also made a very good starts the season two wins in the draw joint top of of Serie A so um this is a good test I think to to see where to see where Inter are at um with a similar team that that played against City in that 2023 Champions League
Inter's Champions League Ambition
00:01:48
Speaker
final. First of all, just before we look at this game, I mean, that was ah that was a great performance, that that final, wasn't it? And I think Inter will be probably be, I don't know, what what impact do you think that final will have on on this game for Inter? I think that season, when they reached the Champions League final, or the way that Inter have spoken about that season, that already in August, they said, we have a dream to reach the Champions League final.
00:02:12
Speaker
and the fact that they did reach it and the fact that they were so close actually to potentially even winning it left the taste of hunger in their mouth in the sense that no one at Inte would say this publicly But it's obvious that the Champions League has a special old place for them this season. They would never say that we're prioritizing the Champions League over the Serie A. Absolutely not. They've come out and said and said that we want to win the Serie A and repeat ourselves and do better in Europe. But it's just the but everything around Interis. They've got one eye there on that trophy.
Inter's Strategy and Player Rotation
00:02:52
Speaker
um And they want to start off and send a message, I think.
00:02:57
Speaker
And so when they play Monza this weekend, because we're recording this before that game, away, I think that lineup will be very indicative of the lineup that Inzagi plays against City, because he will have to rotate. This can't be like last season.
00:03:15
Speaker
And given how Fratesi's played, how Tarim he's play as zelinsky's played, played, you know, he has to rotate. It's just that simple. And of of course, with Bastoni having already played a lot and and and have suffered like muscle fatigue, Chalanoglu as well for their national teams and clubs already. So on top of a very heavy preseason, there's going to be quite a bit of rotations. So I think we're going to see I think we're going to see a more, I think we're going to see the first team against City and to beat City away at the Etihad would send such a strong message and I think if anyone is going to be fired up for that game, it is Lautaro Martinez.
Injury Updates and Team News
00:04:02
Speaker
This is the tournament he needs. i mean He's already won everything in Italy. He's already been the ENVP top scorer, won the squareto as the main guy. Now it's about doing it. you know he's He's done it at ah for Argentina, winning the Copa America as well as the main guy, scoring the winning goal in the final. This and becoming top goal scorer in MVP. so Now it's the Champions League that's left. So I think it's going to be he's that this is his tournament. So I think he's going to this is the one. This is the big one for him.
00:04:36
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's certainly is it certainly is. um just Before we come on to to where the game will be won and lost, um let's have a look at the team news and the players who are who are out of this game. so For City, Oscar Bob um is out until the new year.
00:04:54
Speaker
which is ah which is a shame because he was really starting to to to develop into a quality player. Inter, Barela had no surgery during the international break but is back and Buchanan is out until the latter part of 2024.
Team Lineup Predictions
00:05:12
Speaker
Other than that, most of the key players are are pretty much there really, again ahead of the the the league matches before the Champions League games. Manchester City probably 11 always difficult to to predict because City have such a ridiculously deep squad so much quality it's just insane and how many players they've got to two quality players in base virtually every single position so this is always difficult but so far this season City have played a 3-2-4-1 or a 4-2-3-1 and
00:05:48
Speaker
three two four one is kind of what pep has been leaning more towards recently and so we could probably predict a kanji diaz and gradial maybe um in in defense but there's always a chance that a walker stones or akei could start again very very difficult to predict um in midfield, Rodgeri has been missing there the early parts of the season. He's been given an extended rest, and but he could potentially come back in for this. and Otherwise, it would be probably Kovacic, who has been really, really
Tactical Insights from Past Strategies
00:06:19
Speaker
good so far this season. And then Gundagant has returned to Manchester City. So there's a possibility he could start. Otherwise, Rico Lewis would would stay there. But there's also the possibility that that Stones could could play in center midfield. It's, again, so, so difficult to predict. And then,
00:06:36
Speaker
In the the attacking midfield roles, you know on the right wing, we're probably looking at Bernardo Silva, I think. Savino could play there, but I think he'd probably go for the more ah more experienced option of Silva. And then on the left, we're looking at Docu,
00:06:53
Speaker
or Grealish, probably Doku I would imagine. And then the two central attacking midfielders, I mean De Bruyne obviously picks himself and then you know Phil Foden again hasn't hasn't been so prominent ah recently but he could come back in and then up front of course it will be Erling Haaland, who's probably the one player where there isn't a replacement for.
00:07:17
Speaker
in the in the city team after after ah Julian Alvarez left. So that's the city team, again, quite difficult ah to to predict other than whichever team goes out, it's going to be ridiculous ridiculous quality. um As for Inter, I think this is probably easier to to to predict. um So we're looking at, if we're talking about strongest Inter team, we're looking at Sommer in goal, Pavard, Achebi, Bastoni,
00:07:43
Speaker
and then Damián, Barrella, Chalanogli, Machatarian, DiMarco, across the midfield, and Taram and Lautaro, so in a kind of like 3-5-2 formation. I mean, is that
Scheduling Conflicts and Their Impact
00:07:55
Speaker
the system? Is that the formation you think, or team, let's say, you think they will go with? Yeah, um the only thing I could imagine that he would perhaps do in Zaghi, if he wanted to throw a wrench into the, a spanner into the works, would be if he started Josep Martinez in the Champions League.
00:08:14
Speaker
for the same reason that he started ah Andre Onana in the Champions League. Because Onana basically using Martinez in the build-up phase the same way he used Onana, which makes Inter so much more difficult too to press. That's the only thing. Otherwise, if everyone's fit, that is the line-up.
00:08:34
Speaker
um And I think again, watch the gate, this lineup against Monza. I think we're going to see quite a few changes in that game. Yeah. When we see, once we see the lineups for City and Inter in their pre Champions League league games, then that, that over off often, I saw something really strange too, that I don't understand what the FA, I mean, we usually, we make fun of, uh, the Serie A for doing and the lega culture for doing this. But how on God's name, are they playing Brighton 24 hours earlier?
00:09:06
Speaker
I think i believe that was twenty four hours before yeah ah so i mean i know and that was the schedule. I don't know if they've changed it. Well, that would have definitely changed. yeah there's this It has to. Surely. were Surely. like That's mad. It's absolutely insane. But if if that's the case, they have to pray bright and i mean Pep's going to send the kids. yeah and that's that's That's not going to happen.
00:09:28
Speaker
it's just i mean He doesn't have a choice. He can't he can't he can't possibly expect him to sacrifice the opening game of the Champions League for the League Cup. Mad.
Sports Scheduling Anecdotes
00:09:41
Speaker
Yeah, that is insane. That reminds me of that reminds me when I was at school and we had a cup final. ah ah ah Bedford stories. Yeah, yeah my my name my my school team had had the cup final, the county cup final. We'd actually gone two seasons unbeaten. We'd won everything. We won the league both seasons. We won all the cups in the first season. We'd won all the cups in second season. we own It was the final game.
00:10:07
Speaker
of the of the season find the final game of of uh before you know before the school finished you know because it was the end of you know that once you have you know your primary secondary school it's like the final year of secondary school so it was our last game before the school ended and um sorry yeah it's been postponed and it was it wasn't against Brighton it was against Watford sorry so today you has twenty percent yeah so it must have been a league cup then yeah well anyway we had it it was a league cup yeah We had the final, um and and the the day before, for some stupid reason, the school organized a rugby game that we had, that all of us had to play, that we were all made to play. And so we played the rugby match. And then the final, the next day, we were all exhausted, obviously. And we got hammered 4-1 in the final. That was the only game we lost in two years, because we were made to play a ah ah like a rugby friendly. The day before, it's just like the most stupid thing ever.
00:11:00
Speaker
provided me that
00:11:05
Speaker
Oh my god, I have to visit Bedford. god I have to view this place um by myself. like Everything you've told me and everything our common friend Cloudy and all the other friends, the we your friends who I've gotten to know, like I have to visit Bedford. I just have to.
Match Predictions: Inter vs. City
00:11:24
Speaker
is hard is just what On a serious note though, where did this game be won and lost do you think?
00:11:32
Speaker
You said one of them, you actually think that the goalkeeper actually playing out from the back actually really limited city in that Champions League fight. He did, he did and I think that the pie press of course is the game where it's always one of them. I mean some is good with his feet but he's not as good as Martinez, Joseph Martinez and I think that's what he got Joseph Martinez.
00:11:53
Speaker
in the first place. So I think that's one of those things. And i'm I'm just like, again, this is not me reporting anything. I'm just putting it out there as what I, what I, you know, just a gut feeling I've got.
00:12:04
Speaker
that I i think Simone would be open to doing that, because he's done it before, when he alternated between Handanovic and Onana, although there were differences, circumstances, but it was a situation where Onana played every single champion. And Anovic was clearly crap by that note. He was awful, he was finished, we're talking about his... Sommer's still good, that's not it. Sommer's still good, but but my point is simply that in Europe that season, he he used Onana and it was clear why he did that because it made Inter so damn difficult to break down because of Andriy Onana, the ball at that man's feet, he's good enough to play outfield, like technically. likes His first touch, his passing, I mean, it's it's' insane. um so And Martinez is ah is is um is a goalkeeper in that mold. So that's the only thing. But again, if it's injury free, I do expect Sommer Pavarachari Bastoni
00:13:03
Speaker
and and and above all Darmian to play. I think Dumfries will start against Monza because I'm really happy to see that Nzagi is understood that the key to Barilla, unlocking Barilla, is to have defensive stability behind him. When he has Dumfries next to time him, he has to run and think and do everything for him.
00:13:21
Speaker
But with Darmian there, you have such an intelligent footballer there who's so solid defensively. The Barilla can focus on the on on the more ah creative side of things. yeah um So Darmian for sure, if he's fit.
00:13:34
Speaker
um But yeah, no, Lautaro, Turam, I think we could see Taremi starting against Montza. I expect to see it. And like you said before, the key is also Lautaro finally kind of doing it ye against a big opponent when when it's not when it matters. Well, above all the champions, we have to remember, he's on the shortlist for the Ballon d'Or.
00:13:56
Speaker
um i mean I interviewed Alessandro Altobelli for Sempre Inter, the interview isn't out yet. And he was like, you know, one of the main things we spoke about, we interviewed him, was Laotaro winning the Ballon d'Or. And look, this year it's more uncertain than ever. I still think Vinicius Junior will win it. But if Laotaro has a fantastic start to the Champions League season in these big games, by the time, you know, we get to the actual you know, unveiling, who knows what might happen, you know? Yeah, for sure. Predictions, predictions. What are you thinking? I think, I think, I actually think Inter will win this. Oh, well.
00:14:43
Speaker
I think, I think Intel will win this. I think they'll win 1-0. I think it's going to be a very tight game and I think Intel will just scrap it away, like run away with it. Steal it and have all the English punditry talk about all the titles or stereotypes about Italian football and Catenaccio and all the other the stupidity that they always always say about Italian football, even though that will be true. um And I'm going to love it. But even you know That's why I'm kind of hoping that Milan and Atalanta win as well, because I'm going to love them talking out of their asses.
00:15:19
Speaker
um but it's um it's I think this is going to be quite the tight game. um It's gonna be interesting. I'm kind of hoping he plays Mateo Kovacic in midfield. Not because I think i don't i don't think Mateo Kovacic is a good player. I love Mateo Kovacic. But I do think that he could be a potential weak spot for him to depress and win the ball off of him. Because physically Kovacic, that's not the best aspect of his game. um He's a fantastic player. But I do think that there's a potential potential weakness there. Not by much. Because Sip City, like you said, are a super team.
00:15:57
Speaker
um they They don't have any weaknesses, but of all the players playing I think Kovacic could be someone you can actually bother and win the ball off of in the in the build-up phase high up and Go turn the counter Yeah, I'm
00:16:15
Speaker
Man City have been incredible so far. They've looked so good so far this season. um I think I have to go for City 2-1. I think Inter are going to go through and it will be comfortable because again, a bit like Milan, kind of like half the teams and their group are off pretty much gimmes. So for that reason, I think that they'll be fine going through. but and they probably do need to win one of their kind of matches against the bigger teams or one or two of them if they want to try and qualify optimatically for the last 16. I don't think this game it will be decisive and for that reason because it's obviously the hardest game you can play. um but um I don't know man like
00:16:55
Speaker
Levakusan and Leipzig is not easy. Those are not easy,
Group Stage Challenges for Inter
00:16:59
Speaker
no? yeah but the others Yeah, but the others, I mean, you've got Arsenal, you've got City, you've got Leipzig, you've got Levakusan, and then you have young boys, Sparta Pra and Sylvan Svejda.
00:17:10
Speaker
but Three, yeah, but four tough opponents. Yeah, fair enough. Yeah, is it's it's not a dream draw. I'm just happy because of this this weird rivalry between Intel and Arsenal fans, which started on the back of a tweet in Interfans. There's no rivalry between these two clubs.
00:17:33
Speaker
But it started all off a tweet that like last season or the season before that. Can't remember, but it's hilarious. So um I'm really looking forward to. to Yeah, it's going to be it's going to be a great game. It'll be a great game to watch. OK, do check out our other previews from much day one. We've done individual previews.
Further Resources and Match Previews
00:17:52
Speaker
of the matches between Atalanta and Arsenal and Milan against Liverpool and of course as I said before check out our preview show of the entire ah new Champions League season and that's on all of our podcast apps and also you can watch us and preview it on YouTube as well. ah Okay guys, see you next time.