Serie A champions Inter take a daunting-looking trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in their opening Champions League fixture. Simone Inzaghi talked to the press in the build-up, naming his Citizens counterpart Pep Guardiola ‘the best coach around.’
Inter and Manchester City locked horns in the 2023 Champions League final. Despite giving the perennial Premier League champions a run for their money in the Istanbul showpiece, Rodri’s strike inspired Guardiola’s side to a narrow 1-0 win to complete their famous treble that year.
As the 2024/25 Champions League season got underway in a new format on Tuesday, Inter will seek revenge when they meet Manchester City again. Inzaghi delivered his thoughts on the upcoming showdown at the Etihad and hailed Guardiola as the best manager in the world.
“We always set out to win, even though we know there are different budgets and other factors. But I don’t like excuses,” the Inter boss said, as reported by Gianluca Di Marzio. “It will be a pleasure to see Pep again, I met him three times, and twice I had a very good time, in Istanbul a little less… I think he’s the best coach around, he’s an inspiration to me.“
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez has endured an underwhelming start to the season. However, Inzaghi backed his talismanic forward to return to form soon.
“He’s our captain and he will score many goals for us. We need to evaluate and understand his situation. He arrived almost a month after his teammates, he worked hard and then had a problem.
“He’s traveled a lot, but with more matches and training, he’ll find his best form and the goals he’s always scored. Lautaro will always be a solution, never a problem for me,” the Inter manager concluded.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |