Manchester City’s nil-all draw with Inter Milan isn’t a bad result | OneFootball

When Manchester City don’t win a game of football, there is, at times, a point of view that exists that something is wrong with Pep Guardiola’s side. Such is the high standard that City are held to a draw can be viewed as a loss by some sections of the media and some City supporters. But on closer inspection, Manchester City’s nil-all draw with Inter Milan isn’t a bad result.

Firstly, in the second half, Manchester City had several golden chances to win last night’s match. Ilkay Gundogan had two late headers that could’ve won the game for Pep Guardiola’s side. Phil Foden also hit a good chance straight at Yann Sommer in the second half. After struggling at times against Simone Inzaghi’s side in the first half Manchester City took control of the game in the second half. Besides the odd counterattack by the Serie A champions, Pep Guardiola’s side was the dominant side after halftime. That was a positive for City’s display.

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The other factor to consider is that Inter Milan is one of the best teams in Europe. Simone Inzaghi’s side stormed to the Scudetto last season. They are a formidable opponent for any team. Inter Milan are strong at the back and have a plethora of quality options going forward. They were never going to just roll over at the Etihad last night. It isn’t in their make up as they have shown time and time again in recent seasons. Being held to a nil-all draw by a tough Inter side isn’t a bad result, even for Manchester City.

That fact wasn’t lost on Pep Guardiola when he spoke after last night’s match. He praised City’s opponents and was happy with his team’s performance on the night. He told the media: “We faced a really, really difficult team, the champions from Italy. They are physical and they have [strength in] all departments. They build up from Sommer and Bastoni, playing on the transition. I am really satisfied for the game we played. They are masters of defending deep. They help each other unbelievably so you cannot expect to create a lot of chances. We created some chances. We played much better than two years ago in the final of the Champions League. I like everything from my team today. We would prefer to win but still seven games, see what happens.”

Manchester City’s nil-all draw with Inter Milan wasn’t a bad result. City’s performance was good, especially in the second half. But on the night, they ran into a determined opponent who was determined not to be beaten at the Etihad. That happens in football. But a scoreless draw isn’t the end of the world and there were positives to take from the game despite the fact that City had to settle for a point to open their Champions League campaign.