Despite Pep Guardiola's team winning all four of their Premier League matches this season, they struggled to break down Inter, the Italian champions, in a repeat of the 2023 final that City won.
City’s Kevin De Bruyne was sidelined with an injury at halftime, and Phil Foden missed their best opportunity by shooting directly at Inter's goalkeeper, Yann Sommer. Erling Haaland, who was aiming for his 100th goal for the club, was kept under control throughout the match.
It was a highly competitive game against a formidable opponent. We anticipated their challenge; they are a top team accustomed to winning, so it wasn’t going to be straightforward, City defender Ruben Dias told TNT Sports.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan could have secured a win for Inter but missed the target with a shot 15 minutes before the end. Ilkay Gundogan also squandered two late opportunities for City, failing to convert headers.
Former Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian had a notable chance but opted for a back-heeled shot rather than a more conventional attempt.
“Our goal was to demonstrate that we aren’t intimidated playing here,” said Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu.
This match marked the first time City had failed to score at home in the Champions League since a 0-0 draw with Sporting Lisbon in March 2022 and just the second time in all competitions at home since then, with the other being a 0-0 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League in March.
Despite the draw, City extended their unbeaten home streak in European matches to 32 games, a run dating back to a 2-1 defeat to Lyon.
I’m satisfied with our performance; I liked everything about it, Guardiola commented.
PSG appeared to be heading for a draw against Girona, who were making their European debut and had a strong season in Spain last year. However, a late mistake by Girona's goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, allowed PSG to secure a 1-0 victory at Parc des Princes.
We won’t achieve our goals overnight, Girona coach Míchel said. It requires persistent effort.
PSG defender Nuno Mendes made a decisive run down the left and delivered a low cross that deflected off substitute Alejandro Frances before slipping through Gazzaniga’s grasp and body for an own-goal, salvaging the win for the home team.
It was a challenging game; they handle the ball well, Mendes told Canal Plus. I was surprised by the goal. The goalkeeper was in position, but the ball got through.
SUPER-SUB GITTENS PROPELS DORTMUND
Borussia Dortmund, who were the runners-up last season after losing to Real Madrid in the final, saw English winger Jamie Gittens play a crucial role. The 20-year-old came off the bench to score twice, leading his team to a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge.
Serhou Guirassy also made his mark by converting a stoppage-time penalty, marking his first goal for Dortmund since his transfer from Stuttgart in the summer.
Dortmund's defense had the best record in the Champions League last season with six clean sheets before the final, where Real Madrid secured the title with two late goals.
Despite Brugge's 18 attempts on goal, including a close-range shot by Hugo Vetlesen that hit the crossbar in the 12th minute, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel managed to keep them out. Vetlesen’s effort was part of a frantic sequence of four shots from a corner, with Kobel making a crucial diving save.
Kobel's five saves ensured that Dortmund's profligacy in front of goal didn't cost them until the 76th minute, when Gittens' shot, deflected by two defenders, found its way past Simon Mignolet into the Brugge net.
Gittens later scored again with a fine effort following an impressive step-over, and Guirassy added a third goal for Nuri Sahin's side.
Celtic made a strong start to their Champions League campaign by defeating Slovan Bratislava 5-1 at home, marking their first opening game win in the competition in 13 attempts.
Liam Scales’ powerful header gave Celtic the lead, and Kyogo Furuhashi added another early in the second half. Arne Engels then converted a penalty to make it 3-0.
Although Kevin Wimmer scored a fine goal for the Slovak champions, who had progressed through four rounds of qualifying, Celtic extended their lead with additional goals from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor expressed his satisfaction with the performance, stating, “It’s a fantastic night.” He added, I hope the supporters enjoyed it as much as the managers and players did. This represents a significant step in the group's growth and development.
Bologna played to a 0-0 draw at home against Shakhtar Donetsk in their first-ever Champions League match, with Lukasz Skorupski saving an early penalty from Georgiy Sudakov.
Sparta Prague secured a 3-0 victory over Red Bull Salzburg with goals from Kaan Kairinen, Victor Olatunji, and Qazim Laci, marking their first win in the competition proper since 2003.
