Manchester City are not just Erling Haaland, says Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij

MANCHESTER – Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij warned that Manchester City “are not just (Erling) Haaland” ahead of the sides’ Champions League reunion at the start of an expanded tournament that will be “so tough” for the 2023 winners.

Pep Guardiola’s side beat Inter 1-0 in the final two seasons ago, as Rodri’s goal clinched their first Champions League crown on a memorable night in Istanbul.

While Haaland was not on the scoresheet that night, he was instrumental in City’s historic treble-winning 2022-23 campaign and has looked in ominous form this season.

He has scored nine times in City’s first four English Premier League matches, including back-to-back hat-tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United.

Speaking ahead of his side’s visit to the Etihad on Sept 18, Dutch defender de Vrij said that there is more to City than their Norwegian forward, adding: “All the players they have are top quality. We have to prepare as best we can to both defend and attack as a team. These are big matches for us as defenders. We’ll try to defend as a team.”

Haaland could overtake Cristiano Ronaldo as the fastest player to reach 100 goals for a single club, having scored 99 goals in 103 appearances in all competitions.

Ronaldo netted 100 in 105 matches for Real Madrid.

“I played for 11 years and scored 11 goals. This guy (Haaland), in four games he’s scored nine,” Guardiola said with a laugh.

“The opponents will find a solution (to contain the Norwegian), and we have to find a solution to beat them, to find a way.”

The match will be both teams’ first experience of the competition’s new format, in which 36 teams compete in one table and play eight fixtures each instead of the traditional group stage with six matches.

Guardiola said his tactics for the new format will be to simply “win our first game, then the next one, then we will see”.

He was less glib about Inter, saying: “I knew they were strong two years ago and they’ll be strong tomorrow. I have respect for them...

“Inter are a historical team with an incredible mentality... They have good high pressing, almost man-to-man... and they defend with typical Italian mentality.  They are strong in set-pieces; they have quality in the build-up... It’s a complete team.”

Meanwhile, City defender Manuel Akanji is relishing the chance to face Inter again after that treble-winning triumph 15 months ago.

It was a cathartic victory for City after a series of crushing Champions League disappointments during the Guardiola era, including a 2021 final loss to Chelsea.

City had to dig deep before Rodri finally broke down Inter’s well-drilled defence in the second half of a tense clash at the Ataturk Stadium.

“I’m looking forward to it, even with the new format,” Akanji said.

“The old one was better but we go up against the best teams still and we start with a great game against Inter. The last time we played them was in the final, so good memories for us.”

City’s Champions League title defence was ended by eventual winners Real Madrid last season, with the Spanish side emerging victorious from a quarter-final penalty shoot-out in Manchester.

But City’s latest painful European exit stung a lot less, thanks to the warm memories of their victory against Inter.

It will be fascinating to see how Guardiola goes about competing for another European title and a fifth successive Premier League crown amid the financial breaches case that could plunge the club into turmoil.

The independent commission hearing into 115 Premier League charges of alleged financial breaches against City began on Sept 16.

City strongly deny any wrongdoing but potentially face a severe points deduction or even expulsion from the league if the verdict, which is not expected until 2025, finds them guilty.

In the meantime, City extended their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season with a 2-1 win against Brentford on Sept 14.

Significantly, influential Spain midfielder Rodri played his first 45 minutes of the season in the second half after a hamstring injury suffered in the Euro 2024 final victory against England in July.

With England defenders John Stones and Kyle Walker also making their first starts this term, Guardiola is close to having all his stars available just in time for a hectic period. He is missing only midfielder Oscar Bobb (fractured leg) and defender Nathan Ake (hamstring).

Inter, meanwhile, will be without only versatile wide player Tajon Buchanan, who has not yet recovered from a broken tibia. AFP