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Manchester City's new era under Enzo Maresca begins on Saturday when the Premier League giants take on Serie A champions Inter in Hong Kong.
Three years on from their meeting in the 2023 Champions League final, Manchester City and Inter face each other again in Hong Kong, with the Citizens playing their first pre-season fixture while Inter aim to make it two wins from two this summer.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Manchester City vs Inter key stats
- Manchester City will play their first match without Pep Guardiola in the dugout for more than a decade.
- No Premier League side scored more goals than Manchester City's 77 last season.
- Inter are unbeaten in their last 13 matches.
- The Nerazzurri claimed their 21st Serie A title last season, finishing as the division's highest scorers with 89 goals.
Manchester City vs Inter preview: Life under Maresca begins in Asia
Manchester City vs Inter — 2025/26 Tale of the Tape
| Manchester City (Premier League) | vs | Inter (Serie A) |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Position | 1st |
| 78 | Points | 87 |
| 77 | Goals For | 89 |
| 35 | Goals Against | 35 |
| 16 | Clean Sheets | 18 |
| 2nd / 2nd | Home / Away Rank | 1st / 1st |
Tasked with replacing his former mentor, Maresca officially took charge of Manchester City at the end of June after signing a three-year contract with the club.
Guardiola departed the Etihad having won 20 major trophies during his remarkable spell in charge, although his final season ended without another Premier League title as City were beaten to top spot by Arsenal.
Expectations remain as high as ever under Maresca, with Manchester City determined to reclaim the Premier League crown, and their preparations begin with a three-match tour of Asia.
Maresca has already strengthened his squad with the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, whose transfer briefly made him the most expensive British player in history before the record was surpassed later in the summer.
The England international will miss the trip to Asia after helping England reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Inter, meanwhile, arrive in Hong Kong on the back of another hugely successful campaign after lifting both the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia.
Cristian Chivu guided the Nerazzurri to a 21st league title after they accumulated 87 points, scoring a league-high 89 goals while conceding just 35 times, finishing 11 points clear of second-placed Napoli despite ending the campaign with only two wins from their final five matches.
They also claimed a 10th Coppa Italia crown after defeating Lazio 2-0 in the final.
Following their domestic double, Inter's focus will now be on making a greater impact in Europe after suffering a surprise knockout playoff defeat to Bodo/Glimt last season.
Unlike Manchester City, Inter have already begun their pre-season schedule and opened with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Karlsruher, where Andy Diouf struck twice deep into stoppage time to turn defeat into victory.
A much sterner examination now awaits against the English giants before Inter travel to Australia for friendlies against AC Milan and Juventus ahead of their Serie A opener against Monza on August 22.
Manchester City vs Inter form guide & betting tips
| Manchester City | vs | Inter |
|---|---|---|
|
W
W
W
D
L
|
Form |
W
W
D
D
W
|
| 9 | Goals For | 11 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 5 |
|
N/A
|
Pre-season results |
W
|
Whispers predicts: Manchester City 2-2 Inter
Neither side is expected to be at full strength, particularly Manchester City, who remain without several players given extended breaks after reaching the latter stages of the World Cup, but there is still plenty of quality on show.
Manchester City and Inter finished as the highest-scoring teams in their respective domestic leagues last season, and we are backing Both Teams To Score at 3/9 alongside Over 2.5 Goals at 4/9.
In the absence of Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo is expected to lead the line for Manchester City and is priced at 6/4 to score at any time.
Our correct-score prediction of 2-2 is available at 10/1.
> Antoine Semenyo to score anytime at 6/4 | Likelihood: Probable
> Both teams to score at 3/9 | Likelihood: Probable
> Over 2.5 goals at 4/9 | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score of 2-2 at 10/1 | Likelihood: Longshot