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• Inzaghi content with Man City draw but laments Inter misses

  Simone Inzaghi lamented Inter's missed opportunities but was broadly satisfied with their 0-0 draw at Manchester City on matchday one in the Champions League.

  Inter produced an impressive performance at the Etihad Stadium, holding the team that beat them in the 2023 Champions League final to seal a memorable treble.

  Matteo Darmian and Henrikh Mkhitaryan had huge chances to put the Nerazzurri ahead in the second half, though they were also fortunate to see Ilkay Gundogan miss two golden opportunities for City.

  After becoming just the second coach to oversee a clean sheet in an away Champions League game versus Guardiola's City, Inzaghi heaped praise on his players.

  "The players did really well, we knew the quality of our opponents, but we worked well and could have hurt them more in some situations," he told Amazon Prime Video Italia.

  "In the final third we need to show skill and technique, which we do have in the squad.

  "Against these sides like Manchester City and Real Madrid, you always seem like you might be able to score a goal, but then they manage to rescue it."

  Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, meanwhile, said Inter were determined not to be intimidated by City following their defeat in the 2022-23 showpiece game.

  "We wanted to show that we are not scared to play here. We play football the way they do, with sacrifice we showed that we can also play football," Calhanoglu said.

  "We enjoyed ourselves against a very strong team and could also have won, but with the right courage and spirit of sacrifice, we proved that we can compete against anyone."

  Inter will now turn their focus to the Derby della Madonnina against Milan in Serie A on Sunday.

  "It will be a derby, we all know what that means for the club and our fans," Inzaghi said. "They never stopped singing tonight in Manchester. 

  "We will stay here overnight, fly back tomorrow and try to prepare the match in just a few days."

• 'I love my team' – Guardiola proud of Man City despite Inter blank

  Pep Guardiola was proud of Manchester City's performance despite their failure to find a breakthrough in their goalless draw with Inter, declaring: "We are a fantastic team".

  In a repeat of the 2023 Champions League final, City were unable to find a way past a resolute Nerazzurri defence at the Etihad Stadium.

  Ilkay Gundogan missed two huge chances at the death for the hosts, but Inter themselves went close to snatching three points through Henrikh Mkhitaryan.  

  Erling Haaland, meanwhile, was limited to the fewest touches of all 22 starters (14) as his bid to reach 100 goals for City was foiled.

  Despite City failing to score for just the second time in 42 home Champions League games under him (also versus Sporting CP in 2022), Guardiola refused to criticise his men.

  Asked what he liked about their display by TNT Sports, Guardiola said: "Everything, absolutely everything. We played so good, I love my team, we are a fantastic team.

  "Against a team who are masters of defending, we did so, so well. We conceded one or one and a half chances, and you cannot expect to create 20 chances when a team defends so deep.

  "When you lose easy balls, it's a counterattack, it's impossible to stop it. We had to be more precise. You cannot always control it.

  "We had not a lot [of chances], but they were so clear. It's also the start of the season, these players will get better with a little bit more time."

  Guardiola was also asked for an update on the condition of Kevin De Bruyne, who was withdrawn at half-time just four days out from a huge Premier League matchup against Arsenal, but he was unable to provide one.

  Defender Ruben Dias was also pleased with most aspects of City's performance, saying: "A very intense game against a very strong opponent.

  "We knew what was coming, they're a top team as well, they're used to winning, and we knew we were not going to have an easy job. 

  "In the end, I think the team had a great performance, we were very close to scoring."

  Another huge chance for Inter to snatch victory saw defender Matteo Darmian inexplicably attempt to find Nicolo Barella with a backheel when he had a clean sight of Ederson's goal in the second half.

  Asked about that moment after the game, Nerazzurri boss Simone Inzaghi said: "I asked him, 'what were you playing at?', and he said he could hear Barella behind him."

  City's next Champions League game is at Slovan Bratislava on October 1, while Inter host Crvena zvezda on the same day.

• Man City 0-0 Inter: Guardiola's men frustrated in repeat of 2023 final

  Manchester City's bid for a second Champions League crown got off to a frustrating start as they were held to a goalless draw by Inter in a repeat of the 2023 final.

  Both teams squandered numerous chances in a breathless back-and-forth affair at the Etihad Stadium, with Inter defending resolutely before threatening to hit Pep Guardiola's hosts on the break on numerous occasions.

  City's goal machine Erling Haaland was hoping to become the fastest player in history to score 100 goals for a European club, but he saw a header held by Yann Sommer early on before rolling another effort narrowly wide of the post.

  Marcus Thuram flashed a first-time shot over the crossbar as Simone Inzaghi's men fired a warning shot of their own, while another Sommer save prevented Phil Foden from capping a delightful City move with a goal.

  Inter's clearest opening came in the 53rd minute, but former Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian inexplicably tried to find a team-mate with a backheel when presented with a clear sight of Ederson's goal.

  Henrikh Mkhitaryan had City fans breathing a huge sigh of relief when he missed another golden late opportunity, sending a wild effort spinning over the crossbar from 10 yards out.

  But the last chances went City's way, Ilkay Gundogan eliciting huge groans from the home fans with two misses from short-range headers in the dying seconds.

  Data Debrief: Inter make a statement

  City are always favourites on their own turf, but Inter were expected to put up a fight on Wednesday and they did precisely that, marking themselves out as potential challengers for the European crown.

  It was just the second time City had failed to find the net in 42 home Champions League matches under Guardiola, with the other being a goalless draw with Sporting CP in 2022.

  Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Acerbi and Yann Bisseck impressed in the heart of defence, limiting Haaland to the fewest touches (14) of any starter on either team.

  The Nerazzurri also offered a threat going forward, with their 10 first-half attempts making them the first Champions League visitors to reach double figures at the Etihad since Monaco in February 2017 (also 10).