Manchester City vs Inter Milano 1 August 2026 Prediction

Enzo Maresca will make his debut as Manchester City manager against the reigning champion of his home country. City and Inter have met four times before, and both teams have never scored in the same match. Their most recent meeting, in the Champions League two years ago, ended 0-0.

Most of Manchester City’s Key Players Are Still on Vacation

Pep Guardiola’s 10-year spell at Manchester City ended with FA Cup and League Cup victories, but the club missed out on the most important trophies in the 2025/26 season. Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has taken over, although major tactical changes are unlikely in the near future. Maresca previously worked on Guardiola’s coaching staff and follows a similar tactical philosophy. City should continue to rely on long spells of possession and a structured positional game.

Maresca selected 28 players for the tour of Asia. Rayan Aït-Nouri, Joško Gvardiol, Mateo Kovačić, Tijjani Reijnders, and Antoine Semenyo have only recently returned from their post-World Cup breaks and are not yet fully fit, so they are unlikely to play major minutes against Inter. City’s England internationals, including new signing Elliot Anderson, are still on vacation, along with Rúben Dias, Erling Haaland, Rodri, Rayan Cherki, and Omar Marmoush. Maresca’s biggest problem is at center forward, where his current options are limited to young players Ryan McAidoo, Divin Mubama, and Mahamadou Sangaré.

Inter Remains Unbeaten in Preseason

Cristian Chivu became the first Inter manager since José Mourinho to win Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the same season. Inter has also won both of its summer friendlies, defeating German amateur side Aasen 16-0 and second-division Karlsruhe 2-1. The second match was much more difficult. Inter trailed 0-1 after 90 minutes before substitute Andy Diouf scored twice to complete the comeback.

That performance could earn Diouf a place in the starting lineup against Manchester City. Inter still needs a solution at right wing-back following the sale of Denzel Dumfries, and the French midfielder may be the best available option. Chivu has rotated heavily during preseason, so a different lineup is expected after halftime. Luis Henrique should receive more minutes despite offering limited impact so far. Several young players are also expected to feature, with attacking midfielder Luka Topalović and forward Jamal Iddrissou standing out after scoring three and two goals respectively against Aasen.

Former Manchester City defender John Stones is expected to join Inter soon as a free agent. He will not play against his former club, while Manuel Akanji is still on vacation after the World Cup. Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram are absent for the same reason, creating an opportunity for Iddrissou to start.

Manchester City vs Inter Predicted Lineup

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Reis, Alleyne, Lewis; N. González, Samba; Savinho, Foden, Monga; McAidoo

Unavailable: Haaland, Doku, Dias, Nunes, Guéhi, O’Reilly, Anderson, Marmoush, Rodri (not in the squad)

Manager: Enzo Maresca

Inter (3-5-2): J. Martínez; Pavard, Bisseck, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Stanković, Zieliński, Dimarco; F. Esposito, Iddrissou

Unavailable: L. Martínez, Thuram, Akanji (not in the squad)

Manager: Cristian Chivu

Manchester City vs Inter Prediction: Inter Double Chance

• Main prediction: Inter looks like an appealing underdog in this matchup. The reigning Serie A champion enters the game in better condition after two preseason wins and has fewer personnel problems. Inter’s strength in central midfield should also prevent Manchester City from controlling the middle of the field, with Nicolò Barella and Piotr Zieliński providing experience and quality. City’s inexperienced attack may struggle against Inter’s established three-man defense. The pick is Inter double chance at 1.70.
• Total prediction: Leading clubs rarely prioritize defensive caution in preseason, and the crowd in Hong Kong could see an open match. Manchester City has not yet played under Maresca, but his teams usually follow an attacking approach. Inter’s two summer friendlies both finished with at least three goals, while its friendlies under Chivu have averaged exactly five total goals. The pick is over 3.5 total goals at 2.11.