Manchester City vs. Internazionale: Predicted lineups, team news and score prediction

On Sept. 18, Manchester City will begin in what many believe is one of Europe's, if not the world's, most coveted football tournament — the UEFA Champions League. The defending Premier League champions will host a side they beat to win the Champions League in 2022-23, Inter Milan.

Ahead of the game, there is a lot of anticipation among fans because not only is this the first Champions League game of the season, but it's also set to be contested between two top-tier teams who played a brilliant final in 2022-23. In this article, we will take a look at the recent form of both clubs, team news, predicted lineups, and more.

Manchester City and Inter Milan's recent form

When it comes to form, Manchester City have begun their Premier League campaign with the same form that helped them become champions last season. Until now, the team in blue has played four games and registered four wins. In doing so, Pep Guardiola and his men have looked good offensively and defensively.

Last 5 games: W, W, W, W, W

On the other hand, while Inter Milan might not have had a start like Manchester City, the Italian outfit still find themselves in the top four of Serie A. After four games in the Italian league, Inter has registered two wins and two draws. The biggest positive has been that they have not lost until now, and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain the same record away from home against City.

Last 5 games: D, W, W, D, D

Player to watch out for

Erling Haaland: Since the last two seasons, Erling Haaland has been the leading goal scorer for Manchester City in the Premier League and overall. It seems like this season, as well, Haaland will lead the charts for the English club. In his Premier League campaign until now, the Norwegian footballer has scored nine goals in four games.

Haaland's ability to score goals at will has been a crucial reason behind the success City has experienced since his arrival ahead of the 2022-23 season. If Manchester City want to ensure they begin their Champions League campaign with a win, then the form of players like Erling Haaland will be extremely crucial.

Marcus Thuram: Since arriving at Inter Milan from Borussia Mönchengladbach, Marcus Thuram has been one of the driving forces in the Italian team's attack. Last season, Thuram scored 15 goals and assisted in 14 games in all competitions. However, this time, it seems the French footballer is focused on doing even better.

Until now, Thuram has played all four games for Inter Milan in the Serie A, and he has scored four goals. Apart from scoring, Thuram has also contributed to making the game for Inter Milan as he provided two assists. If Inter Milan aspires to win away from home, the form of Thuram will be crucial in building attacks and launching successful counterattacks.

Predicted Lineups for Manchester City and Inter Milan

Manchester City: Ederson (GK), Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Doku, Savinho, Haaland

Inter Milan: Sommer (GK), Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro, Thuram.

Team News

Manchester City: In the game against Inter Milan, Pep Guardiola will have a lot of fit players to select from. However, the two players who won't be part of the game are Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake. Before the start of the season, Bobb fractured a bone in his leg which will keep him out of action till December or early January.

Nathan Ake on the other hand picked up an injury during Nedtherland's 2-2 draw against Germany. A muscle injury forced Ake to be stretchered out from the match, and he won't be available until the next international break.

Inter Milan: Against Manchester City, Inter Milan will be without Tajon Buchanan and Federico Dimarco. Buchanan suffered a broken leg while training with Team Canada in July. And when it comes to Dimarco, reports in Italy suggest the player has suffered a muscle injury that will prevent him from playing at the Etihad Stadium.

Score Predictions

Based on their history and on paper, both teams have what it takes to get the job done. However, it would be hard to deny that Manchester City are favorites going into the game. There is a chance that City could win this match 2-0. In the last three games played between City and Inter, the English side won two whereas Inter won one.

But apart from this stat, it would also be safe to say that until now this season, Pep Guardiola's team looks to be the better side defensively and offensively. While Inter has been successful, there has been a tendency for their defense to leak goals, and this could work to City's benefit in the Champions League fixture on Sept. 18.