Manchester City began their Champions League campaign with a 0-0 draw against Inter Milan on Wednesday, while Paris Saint-Germain secured a late win over Girona, who were competing in the tournament for the first time.
Despite a perfect start to their Premier League season with four consecutive wins, City struggled to overcome Inter, the Italian champions and their opponents from the 2023 final. Kevin De Bruyne’s injury at halftime further complicated City's efforts. Phil Foden had the best chance for City but his shot was saved by Inter's goalkeeper Yann Sommer. Erling Haaland was also unable to find the net, failing to score in his pursuit of his 100th goal for Manchester City.
“It was a very intense game against a strong opponent. We knew what was coming, they are a top team as well and they are used to winning, so we were not going to have an easy job,” said City defender Ruben Dias.
Inter Milan came close to securing a victory when Henrikh Mkhitaryan missed a chance 15 minutes from the end. This result allows City to extend their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 24 matches, just one short of the record set by Manchester United between 2007 and 2009. This is only the second time in 42 home Champions League games under Guardiola that City has failed to score.
“Our plan was to show that we're not scared to play here,” said Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu.
In another fixture, PSG looked set for a draw against Girona, who are part of the City Football Group and finished third in Spain last season. However, a crucial error by Girona’s goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga in the 90th minute allowed Nuno Mendes’ cross to slip through his hands, giving PSG the win.
“It was a difficult game, they're a team that plays well with the ball,” Mendes told Canal Plus. “I was surprised (by the goal). The goalkeeper was there and it got through.”
