Man City vs Inter Milan LIVE: Champions League score as Rodri starts at Etihad Stadium

An excellent challenge from Carlos Augusto, tracking back to slide in on Savinho. The left wing-back immediately gives the ball away, though.

Inter Milan settle into their back five, with Manchester City controlling possession in the opening exchanges. You suspect that will be the theme of the evening.

Savinho wide on the right, Jack Grealish wide on the left for the hosts, with Rico Lewis tucking in and up from right-back.

And we are underway at the Etihad Stadium.

Right, here we go. Glenn Nyberg of Sweden has the whistle, laying down the law to Kevin de Bruyne and Nicolo Barella, who swap pennants. Manchester City are sporting their Noel Gallagher-designed change strip, which is selling about as well as Oasis tickets, apparently.

“Pep Guardiola was asked yesterday whether Lautaro Martinez should win the Ballon d’Or. A day on, Martinez is benched by Inter for a reunion of the teams who played in the 2023 Champions League final. With Phil Foden named on the City bench by Guardiola, he still has not started a game this season, while Rodri makes his first start.”

This revamped competition really is going to be a slog, eight fixtures for each of the entrants to negotiate between now and the end of January. Both of these two have rather significant games in the league on Sunday: Manchester City facing Arsenal; Inter in a Milan derby) – will that have any bearing on their approaches?

Lee Carsley is at the Etihad tonight, the England manager casting his eye over Rico Lewis and Jack Grealish in the Manchester City ranks after the pair impressed internationally earlier this month. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, has suggested ahead of kick off that Rodri is unlikely to last 90 minutes as the Spanish midfielder makes his first start of the season.

Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Man City’s opponent’s tonight when he addressed the media at Tuesday’s pre-match press conference.

“Historical team and incredible mentality,” the City boss said. “They are built to win every single game and to win every competition. Last year they won a lot and that means in the mindset of the players they can do it, which is similar to us.

“They have good high pressing and go man to man so they are similar to Brentford [in that regard] and after they defend with typical Italian mentality that they have to suffer. They are also strong in set pieces. Incredible qualities.

“Good guys from second line, especially [Nicolo] Barella. I don’t know if he will be fit tomorrow but every time from [Federico] Dimarco crosses arrive with four or five players in the box.

“You cannot reach the Champions League final and win Serie A with 90 percent of the same players if you don’t have something special.”

Pep Guardiola says his players know what they need to do during the league phase of this Champions League campaign and that they may need to adjust against Inter tonight.

“It’s not about inspiration or emotion – I am so cold on that.” he said, “The players have to know what they have to do. They have to adjust something. The way [Inter] attack is so difficult to control. It’s the first game of an eight-game group stage. We know what we have to do.”

“We [look to] win our first game and then the second one and see what happens. In the last games, [we will] take a look. Like in the Premier League, we will look at the table in the future. We have to try to win our games at home; otherwise, anything can happen.”

Manchester City midfielder Rodri admitted that the squad watched the 2022/23 Champions League final between the two teams in the build-up to tonight’s match.

He said: “We watched the game [on Monday], analysing them because they haven’t changed much in the way they play. It was great to see it back. This is football – it was a great time and now life goes on. We need to move on and try to start as well as possible in the new competition.

“I am very happy for everything that’s happened to me in recent years. What we’ve won and to win with my country at Euro 2024 is a dream. It’s a consequence of working hard, consistency and never giving up.”