Inter Milan’s stout defense did a solid job containing Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and the Champions League favorites to a 0–0 draw on Wednesday.
Haaland came close to scoring several times, including an opportunity in the 39th minute that skidded just wide at the Etihad Stadium.
The Italians mounted several counter-attacks as Manchester City pushed forward, but Inter Milan could not get a ball past Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson. Manchester City outshot Inter Milan 22–13.
Manchester City is arguably the most talented club in Europe. Haaland is among three Manchester City players, along with Phil Foden and Rodri, who were named to the Professional Footballers’ Association Men’s Players’ Player of the Year preseason list.
In addition to being favored to win the Champions League, Manchester City is the favorite to win the English Premier League and FA Cup. It would be the second time they have achieved that feat—called the Treble—since 2022–2023.
Inter Milan, however, showed that a stout defense can counter a high-powered attack in the prestigious tournament.
In other Champions League action, Glasgow Celtic had the most impressive performance of the day, winning 5–1 over Slovan Bratislava. Liam Scales opened the scoring for Celtic in the 17th minute, and the Scottish side pulled away on goals by Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, and Adam Idah.
Kevin Wimmer scored a goal for the Slovakian club in the 60th minute, but they were outplayed by Celtic throughout the match.
Paris Saint-Germain is adjusting to life without star forward Kylian Mbappé, who signed with Real Madrid this offseason. The French team needed some luck to get past Girona when a shot by Nuno Mendes skidded through the legs of goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga in the 90th minute for a 1–0 victory at the Parc des Princes.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens scored a pair of goals 10 minutes apart later in the second half, and Serhou Guirassy added a penalty in injury time to lead Borussia Dortmund to a 3–0 victory over Belgian side Club Brugge.
The game was close until Bynoe-Gittens broke through with his first goal in the 76th minute. Borussia Dortmund, which last season reached the Champions League finals, narrowly outshot Club Brugge 18–17.
Sparta Prague, which is competing in the Champions League for the first time in 19 years, rolled past Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg 3–0. Kaan Kairinen scored in just the second minute for Prague and Salzburg never recovered.
Victor Olatunji added a second goal just before halftime, and Qazim Laçi scored the third goal in the 58th minute to give Prague its first win in the prestigious tournament since 2003.
Neither Bologna nor the visiting Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk could generate many chances in their scoreless draw. Heorhiy Sudakov might have provided the winner for Shakhtar Donetsk in just the 4th minute, but his penalty shot was saved by Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.
Bologna had a chance to steal the points in the 89th minute, but Tommaso Pobega’s header from the center of the penalty area sailed wide left off a cross from Stefan Posch.
