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City has made a flawless start to the Premier League campaign so far, with center-forward Erling Haaland returning to his lethal best.

The Norwegian has already scored two hat-tricks in the first month of the domestic season.

Although 'frail' is not a term often used to describe City, they have appeared vulnerable to counter-attacks.

Both Ipswich and Brentford have managed to open the scoring against City on the break this season, so Inter's firepower has the potential to cause City problems if they are too casual.

The football calendar may have something to do with that.

City defender Manuel Akanji joked this week that he might have to retire at 30 given the schedule.

However, Inter will be difficult to keep out given their attacking talent.

They have made a positive impression on the 2024/25 Serie A season and look like a good bet to retain last season's Scudetto win with eight points from four games.

Their 4-0 home win over Atalanta was a statement victory.

Atalanta is another Champions League team from Serie A this season, so Inter's demolition of them was an eyebrow-raising result, with French striker Marcus Thuram in prolific early-season form.

Manchester City hasn't lost a game in the Champions League since May 2022, when they were defeated by Real Madrid in the 2021/22 semi-final.

Nevertheless, City only managed to overcome Inter by a narrow 1-0 margin in their last Champions League meeting at the Etihad.

The Nerazzurri are a very different proposition in recent months too, with a settled system and two elite-level goal threats of their own in Thuram and Martinez.

With City likely to shuffle the pack a little, there is a chance Inter can catch them off guard and clinch a point.

Inter has conceded just three goals in their opening four Serie A games this season.

City has allowed the same number in their Premier League fixtures.

Inter's best chance of success at the Etihad is remaining resolute and frustrating City's midfield creators, starving Haaland of service in the final third.

Much of the Nerazzurri's recent domestic success has been founded upon a watertight defense, so City will need to work harder than usual to break the visitors down.

Despite Inter's best efforts, our base case scenario for Wednesday night is that City will go into a first-half lead and hold it until the interval.

However, we expect Inter to remain strong throughout the second 45 minutes, and the value play feels like a draw in this league phase opener.

That's why we reckon City will take the early initiative before Inter levels after halftime on the counter.