Champions League resurrection is the primary concern for Inzaghi, not a potential revisit of the 2023 final against Manchester City.
Inter Milan Gears Up for New-Look Champions League
The 2023-2024 UEFA Champions League season is set to bring a fresh wave of excitement, as the competition introduces a revamped format. Inter Milan, fresh off their Scudetto triumph in 2023, are preparing to embrace the changes under the guidance of their head coach, Simone Inzaghi.
The most notable alteration is the replacement of the traditional group stage with an expanded single league phase, consisting of 36 teams. Each club, including Inter, will play eight matches against eight different opponents, fostering a more competitive and unified league table.
The new format holds significant implications for clubs like Inter Milan. They will now guarantee at least eight matches in the league phase, up from six in the previous group stages. The top eight teams in this league progress directly to the round of 16, while those ranked 9th through 24th enter a knockout play-off round to compete for the remaining spots. Clubs ranked 25th and lower are eliminated after the league phase.
UEFA's intention with this change is to increase the competitiveness of each match and reduce the number of inconsequential games. The shift to an incomplete round-robin (iRR) system also means clubs face more diverse opponents and fans see a greater variety of matchups.
For Inter Milan, this new format presents both opportunities and challenges. With more matches and higher competition intensity, the team will have to navigate the potential fixture congestion that comes with the expanded league phase.
Inzaghi, who has shown no doubts about getting through the challenges posed by the new format, has been busy preparing his squad for the upcoming season. He has already mentioned that he will have to rotate players due to injuries to Federico Dimarco and Marko Arnautovic. Despite the setbacks, he urged his team to be aggressive and determined in the upcoming games.
The Champions League opener for Inter Milan is a highly anticipated clash against Manchester City, who have not lost at home in the Champions League since 2018. However, Inzaghi does not view the game as a rematch of the 2023 final, which Manchester City won 1-0 with Rodri scoring the winning goal.
Inzaghi, who re-watched the 2023 Champions League final a month ago, believes the new Champions League format and the fact that there is less riding on the result make the upcoming game very different from their previous encounter. He expressed enthusiasm about the changes to the format, but did not mention any specific plans to counter Manchester City's home advantage.
Inzaghi, who is excited about preparing for the games as a coach, did not express any concern about the upcoming game being a rematch of the 2023 final. Instead, he acknowledged the challenge of playing against a team like Manchester City, but also expressed confidence in his team's ability to rise to the occasion.
Inter will face Manchester City in the Champions League opener on Wednesday, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for both clubs in the revamped Champions League format.
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