Manchester City is braced for its Champions League reunion with Inter Milan at the start of an expanded tournament that will be “so tough” for the 2023 winner.
Pep Guardiola’s side beat Inter 1-0 in the final two seasons ago as Rodri’s goal clinched its first Champions League crown on a memorable night in Istanbul.
City defender Manuel Akanji is not a fan of the new model because of the extra burden it will place on players in a gruelling season which will conclude with Guardiola’s men competing in the Club World Cup in the United States.
It will be fascinating to see how Guardiola goes about competing for another European title and a fifth successive Premier League crown amid the financial breaches case that could plunge the club into turmoil.
Rodri played his first 45 minutes of the season against Brentford after a hamstring injury suffered in the Euro 2024 final victory against England.
With England defenders John Stones and Kyle Walker also making their first starts this term, Guardiola is close to having all his stars available just in time for a hectic period.
For more than a decade, Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari owners have spent lavishly to attract big stars.
But the Champions League crown remained a distant dream.
The superstars have all now left the Parc des Princes, and it might sound paradoxical, but the club may be better equipped in its quest for continental glory.
Coach Luis Enrique insisted on moulding what he had and his project makes sense.
Enrique asked for the recruitment of less known but excellent players in every sector to create competition and have second options at every position. It could be even more crucial this season as the Champions League’s new format will see more teams playing more games. PSG starts on Wednesday against Spanish side Girona.
Borussia Dortmund, finalist last season, has undergone a summer of upheaval on and off the pitch ahead of Wednesday’s clash at Club Brugge.
Dortmund’s unlikely run to last season’s final masked a poor domestic season.
The result was a summer rebuild, with the club parting ways with Dortmund-born coach Edin Terzic and several regular players.
Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and Germany centre-back Waldemar Anton joined from Stuttgart, while German internationals Maximilian Beier and Pascal Gross have also signed for the club.
The first European test comes at Belgian champions Club Brugge.
Today’s fixtures: Bologna vs Shaktar Donetsk, Sparta Prague vs RB Salzburg 10.15 p.m.; PSG vs Girona, Club Brugge vs Dortmund, Celtic vs Slovan Bratislava, Man City vs Inter, Crevna Zvezda vs Benfica, Feyenoord vs Leverkusen, Brest vs SK Sturm Graz, Atalanta vs Arsenal, Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig, Monaco vs Barcelona 12.30 a.m. (Thursday).
Published - September 18, 2024 02:57 am IST
