Soccer

Champions League round-up: Manchester City held to goalless draw by Inter Milan

Gazzaniga howler gifts PSG 1-0 win over Girona; wins for Sparta Prague and Dortmund

Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni during the Uefa Champions League. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire
Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni during the Uefa Champions League. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire
Wed Sept 18 2024 - 22:25

Manchester City failed to spark as they were forced to settle for a goalless draw in their Champions League opener against Inter Milan.

There was none of the tension of the last time the teams met in the 2023 final as City struggled to break down an impressive Inter side who troubled them on numerous occasions at the Etihad Stadium.

Phil Foden and Ilkay Gundogan went close late on but former Manchester United pair Matteo Darmian and Henrikh Mkhitaryan spurned the best two chances of the night for Inter.

Were it not for some lacklustre finishing from the Italians, Pep Guardiola’s side could easily have fallen behind in the first half

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City made only one attempt on target in the first half when Erling Haaland’s header was comfortably claimed by Yann Sommer.

Haaland had another chance snuffed out when Alessandro Bastoni intercepted a Jack Grealish cross and the Norway striker also dragged a low effort narrowly wide.

Savinho also horribly missed the target but, other than that, most of the goalmouth action came at the other end.

A couple of good Inter breaks came to nothing as Mehdi Taremi and Marcus Thuram failed to trouble Ederson and Hakan Calhanoglu had a shot blocked.

A poor Ederson pass gifted a chance to Darmian but the former United defender’s strike was headed behind by Josko Gvardiol.

Thuram shot wide from the edge of the box and Ederson saved well with his feet from Carlos Augusto.

Darmian had a golden opportunity after being played clear early in the second half but bizarrely opted to backheel – to nobody in particular – rather than shoot as he closed in on goal.

Foden brought a good save out of Sommer 20 minutes from time and Gvardiol also tested the Switzerland number one.

In between those chances, Inter spurned another glorious opening when substitute Mkhitaryan blasted over from 10 yards.

Lautaro Martinez shot at Ederson as Inter pushed for a late winner and City also threatened late on as Foden and Gundogan tested Sommer.

Meanwhile, an embarrassing late blunder gifted Paris St Germain a 1-0 home victory over Champions League debutants Girona on Wednesday as the visitors’ goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga let a Nuno Mendes cross slip through his legs and into the net.

After relentless PSG pressure, Mendes’ low ball across the goal slipped through Gazzaniga’s grasp in stoppage time to earn the hosts victory.

Girona’s defence effectively neutralised PSG’s attack in the first half, causing mounting frustration for the hosts as they struggled to break down their opponents.

Girona, who seemed content with a draw, began to waste time, drawing boos from the Parc des Princes crowd, while PSG’s Randal Kolo Muani and Achraf Hakimi had late chances, but both missed from close range in the dying minutes before Gazzinga’s error.

Celtic, Dortmund and Sparta Prague were also winners on their opening nights, as Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk had a 0-0 draw.