Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi is not viewing the upcoming Champions League game against Manchester City on Wednesday as a rematch of last year’s final. While the Serie A champions fell to Pep Guardiola’s side in the 2023 final with a 1-0 scoreline, Inzaghi insists that the new format and the different stakes make it a completely different encounter.
“Tomorrow starts a new Champions League, that will be very different,” Inzaghi told a press conference on Tuesday. “I re-watched (the final) a month ago when we were in training camp. I don’t think it’s a rematch because it’s not a final, it’s a group game in the new Champions League format.”
Inzaghi expressed his enthusiasm for the revamped Champions League, which now features a 36-team league phase with eight matches per club, replacing the traditional group stage. However, he acknowledged the increased workload on players after City midfielder Rodri highlighted concerns about player burnout.
“We know that you play a lot and we coaches are aware of that. I can say that preparing these games for a coach is beautiful and exciting. I know there are problems, but we are counting on getting through. I will have to alternate as many players as possible, today we are without (Federico) Dimarco and (Marko) Arnautovic, but we have been used to having a sometimes limited rotation for two years now.”
Despite the challenges, Inzaghi remains confident in his team’s ability to compete, emphasizing the need for aggression and determination against a City side that hasn’t lost at home in the Champions League since 2018. “We will need a lot of components to make a great match,” he stated.
