The 2024/25 Champions League season kicks off with a blockbuster matchup as Manchester City hosts Inter Milan, rekindling memories of their 2023 final encounter. This high-profile fixture marks the start of the new league phase format in Europe’s premier club competition.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter side enters the match following a 1-1 draw with Monza in Serie A, while Pep Guardiola’s City team comes in with a perfect record of four wins from four Premier League games, most recently defeating Brentford.
The revamped Champions League format has done away with the traditional group stage. Instead, 36 teams will participate in a single league phase, with each team playing eight matches against different opponents – four at home and four away.
For Inter, the journey begins with this tough test against Manchester City. Their subsequent fixtures include home games against Red Star Belgrade, Arsenal, RB Leipzig, and Monaco, along with away matches versus Young Boys, Bayer Leverkusen, and Sparta Prague.
Probable Manchester City lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Ruben Dias, Gvardiol; Bernardo Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Doku, Haaland, Grealish.
Probable Inter lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Taremi, Thuram.
