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UCL 2024-25: Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi expressed both disappointment over missed chances and satisfaction with his team performance following their 0-0 draw against Manchester City in their opening Champions League match of the season. Inzaghi acknowledged the quality of their opponents but felt that Inter had opportunities to secure a victory. The players performed well. we knew the strengths of Manchester City, but we worked hard and could have capitalized on certain moments. he told Amazon Prime Video Italia. In the final third we need to showcase our skill and technique which we certainly possess.
Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu emphasized that Inter approached the match with confidence, refusing to be intimidated by City, who had defeated them in the 2023 Champions League final. We wanted to show that we aren’t afraid to play here. We play football with the same commitment and demonstrated that we can compete he said. We enjoyed the challenge against such a strong team and felt we could have come away with a win.
Looking ahead Inter will shift their focus to the Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan at home on Sunday. Inzaghi noted the significance of the derby for the club and its fans. Everyone knows what this match means. Our supporters kept singing in Manchester, and now we will fly back tomorrow to prepare for this important game in just a few days he added.
Inzaghi extends contract with champion Inter Milan
Simone Inzaghi has signed a one-year contract extension with Inter Milan the Serie A champions confirmed on Friday. With this new deal the coach will remain in charge of the Nerazzurri until 2026. Inzaghi 48 initially joined the club in 2021 on a two-year contract after Antonio Conte departure and extended his agreement last September to run until 2025.
Under Inzaghi leadership Inter finished a remarkable 19 points ahead of AC Milan to secure their 20th league title clinching it with five matches to spare following a 2-1 victory over their city rivals in April. Over his three seasons the former Lazio coach has guided the team to three Italian Supercups two Coppa Italia titles and a Champions League final appearance in 2023.
Despite early exits in both the Champions League and Coppa Italia last season Inter dominated Serie A achieving 29 wins seven draws and only two defeats. The club also underwent a change in ownership in May with the US investment firm Oaktree taking over from the Chinese group Suning which struggled to repay significant debts.
Inter Inzaghi downplays Champions League ‘Rematch’ with Manchester City
Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi is approaching their Champions League match against Manchester City on Wednesday without viewing it as a rematch of last year’s final. The Serie A champions were narrowly defeated 1-0 by Pep Guardiola side in that match but Inzaghi believes the new Champions League format and the stakes of this game make it fundamentally different.
This is a new Champions League and it feels very different,” Inzaghi said at a press conference on Tuesday. I re-watched the final a month ago during our training camp but I don’t see it as a rematch since it’s not a final; it’s just a group stage game in the new format.
Inzaghi expressed enthusiasm about the changes in the tournament, where clubs will now play eight matches in a 36-team league phase instead of the traditional group stage. he acknowledged the potential strain on players specially after City midfielder Rodri remarked that players were nearing a breaking point.
We understand the volume of games is high and as coaches we recognize that,” he noted. Preparing for these matches is exciting but I’m aware of the challenges. We’re focused on advancing in the competition. He mentioned the need for squad rotation specially with players like Federico Dimarco and Marko Arnautovic unavailable for this match. We’ve been accustomed to managing a limited rotation over the past two years,” he added. Inzaghi emphasized the importance of his team being aggressive and determined particularly since City has not lost at home in the Champions League since 2018.
Inzaghi frustrated by Inter wasted opportunities
The coach joined the fans in expressing frustration towards Darmian after he chose a back-heel flick instead of taking a clear shot on goal. Inzaghi pointed out that this issue has arisen in Serie A as well emphasizing the need for skill and technique in the final third—qualities he believes his squad possesses. This is the first time we haven’t scored this season, and it’s something we need to improve,” he noted.
He reflected on the difficulty of scoring against top teams like Manchester City and Real Madrid, stating You often feel like a goal is within reach but they find a way to deny it. He praised Taremi for his pass to Carlos Augusto, which led to a good save by Ederson. Regarding Darmian decision-making Inzaghi explained that Darmian heard Barella calling for the pass and the opposing defender intercepted just in time preventing a clear shot on goal.
Despite Manchester City strong home record, they failed to score at the Etihad in the Champions League for the first time since March 2022 against Sporting CP. Inzaghi joked I would have preferred to spoil another record as they’ve been unbeaten here in the Champions League since 2018.
Inzaghi faced a big decision by leaving Lautaro Martinez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the bench ahead of the crucial Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan. All my players train well and deserve to play. As a coach, I have to make tough choices and focus on what’s best for Inter but unfortunately, I can only field 15 players in a match.
With Milan struggling under new coach Paulo Fonseca, having lost 3-1 to Liverpool in the Champions League, Inzaghi acknowledged the significance of the upcoming derby. It will be a derby and everyone knows what that means for our club and fans. They never stopped singing tonight in Manchester. We’ll stay here overnight fly back tomorrow and prepare for the match in just a few days.
Super-Sub Gittens Shines for Dortmund
Last season runners-up Borussia Dortmund who were defeated by Real Madrid in the final relied on English winger Jamie Gittens as he came off the bench to score twice in a 3-0 victory against Club Brugge. Serhou Guirassy also contributed netting a stoppage-time penalty for his first goal since joining Dortmund from Stuttgart this summer.
In Glasgow Celtic started their Champions League campaign on a high note thrashing Slovan Bratislava 5-1. This marked their first opening game victory in the tournament in 13 attempts. Liam Scales opened the scoring with a powerful header and Kyogo Furuhashi doubled the lead early in the second half. Arne Engels added a penalty for Celtic making it 3-0. Although Kevin Wimmer pulled one back for the Slovak champions Celtic responded with two more goals from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah.
It was a fantastic night,” said Celtic captain Callum McGregor to TNT Sports. I hope the supporters enjoyed it as much as we did. This is a crucial step for the group in terms of growth and development. In their first-ever Champions League match, Bologna drew 0-0 at home against Shakhtar Donetsk. Goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski made a notable save denying Georgiy Sudakov from the penalty spot early in the game. Sparta Prague secured a solid 3-0 victory over Red Bull Salzburg with goals from Kaan Kairinen Victor Olatunji and Qazim Laci. This win marked Sparta first victory in the Champions League proper since 2003.