Champions League: all about Manchester City vs Inter Milan and PSG vs Girona!
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
Manchester City vs Inter Milan: revenge in sight...?
The sportsbooks' big favorite to win this Champions League start their journey with a big clash! We are facing a repeat of the 2023 final. So far, Pep Guardiola's men have shown excellent performances already this season. The opener saw a nail-biting victory in the Community Shield against their historic rivals, Manchester United (1-1, 7-6 on penalties).
In the Premier League, Man City have won their first four games. The Sky Blues defeated Chelsea (0-2), beat Ipswich Town comfortably (4-1), and beat West Ham before the international break (1-3). After the break, the Citizens beat Brentford 2-1, with a brace from the inevitable Erling Haaland, who has been in fine form with 9 goals in 4 Premier League games.
With Manchester City in great form, led by a red-hot Haaland, the team will be looking to get their Champions League campaign off to a flying start.
Inter Milan will be looking to make things difficult for Manchester City and prevent the Citizens from taking all three points. More than just avenging the last final, Inter will also need to assume their status as favorites and will need to put in a great performance, as they did for so long in 2023. However, the Italian champions' start to the season has not been perfect.
With newcomer Mehdi Taremi, formerly of FC Porto, Inter have managed two wins (against Lecce and Atalanta) and two draws (against Genoa and Monza). While there is no reason to be alarmed at the start of the season, the Nerazzurri will have to play a very different game tonight if they are to get a good result. Will we see another classy performance from Manchester City, or will Inter be able to upset Guardiola's imposing squad? Find out more in our Manchester City vs Inter Milan prediction!
Match Info:
- TV broadcast: CBS Sports Network
- Time: 3:00 p.m. EST (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)
- Stadium: Etihad Stadium (Manchester, England)
- Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Swedish)
PSG vs Girona: Keeping Parisian Pace
Without Kylian Mbappé, Paris Saint-Germain are no longer one of the big favorites to win the trophy according to sportsbooks and top analysts. However, at the moment, the club from the French capital looks more balanced than ever and is showing an impressive performance at the start of the season. In fact, Luis Enrique's men have won all four of their league games, with the team's attacking prowess standing out.
João Neves has stood out, having already provided 4 assists for the Parisian club, thus earning a starting place in Luis Enrique's midfield, and Ousmane Dembélé has also scored three goals in four games, equaling last season's total of 28 games. For now, PSG are averaging four goals per game. After the 1-4 against Le Havre and the 6-0 against Montpellier, two other clubs qualified for the Champions League, Lille and Brest, suffered against the Parisian attacking power (1-3 and 3-1).
Luis Enrique and his players look to be in excellent form as they prepare for this European campaign.
Girona's outlook is much less positive so far. Last season's surprise package in Spain has won just two of its first five La Liga games and has already suffered two heavy defeats. Although the season started well with a draw at Betis (1-1), the team's weaknesses were evident in the defeat to Atlético de Madrid (3-0). However, Girona quickly recovered, beating Osasuna (4-0) and Sevilla (0-2).
Last weekend, ahead of their first Champions League game, the Spanish club suffered a heavy defeat against Barcelona (1-4)... The team's solidity doesn't seem to be as impressive as last season, and the group's morale is not at its best ahead of this trip to Paris. Are Girona heading for an inevitable defeat? Check out our PSG vs Girona prediction for more details!
Match Info:
- TV broadcast: CBS Sports Network
- Time: 3:00 p.m. EST (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)
- Stadium: Parc des Princes (Paris, France)
- Referee: Daniel Siebert (German)
