Inter Milan’s first season in the Women’s Champions League reaches its biggest test yet on Tuesday, when Manchester City visit Monza. Despite the gap in experience at this level, only one point separates the two teams. Inter have four points and sit inside the top eight. City have three points from three straight draws, and are directly beneath them in ninth place.
First Meeting, but Familiar Echoes
The two women’s teams have never played each other in a competitive match, though the clubs share some combative history. In the 2023 men’s Champions League final, Rodri scored the lone goal to give City a 1-0 victory over Inter. It also sealed their historic treble. Now the ladies of Inter get a chance to settle that score.
Youth vs. Experience
The hosts only reached this stage thanks to a remarkable comeback in the Third Qualifying Round. Two-time champions Wolfsburg took a 2-0 victory in the first leg of qualifying, but Inter rallied in the reverse fixture to defeat the Germans by the same scoreline. In extra time, Marija Ana Milinković forced penalties with a 121st-minute equalizer, and goalkeeper CecilÃa Rán Rúnarsdóttir made the only save of the shootout to send Inter into the league phase.
This is Manchester City’s eighth trip to the tournament. Between 2016 and 2021 they advanced from the group stage six straight seasons, with their best finish getting knocked out in the semi-finals. They’ve also failed to advance out of the qualifying rounds, so they know how tough those opponents can be.
Form Guide
Inter (WCL: W-D-L): David Sassarini’s team was somewhat fortunate to meet Häcken in their opening match. They shocked the Swedes with a 5th minute goal, then proceeded to hang on for the 1-0 win. Visiting Austria Wien, they appeared destined for defeat until Ivana Andrés found a 93rd minute equalizer to level it at 1-1. Then came a heavy dose of reality: a 6-0 loss at OL Lyonnes. In the two weeks since that shellacking, they’ve responded well. Back-to-back 3-0 wins over Lazio and AC Milan leave them second in Serie A Femminile with 16 points from six games, two behind Roma. They’re unbeaten in the league, haven’t conceded a single goal, and won all seven home games this season.
Manchester City (WCL: D-D-D): There’s some good things, and some bad things. On the good, City are unbeaten in 12 games this season across all competitions and haven’t lost away from home. In the Women’s Super League, the defending champions are top with 25 points from nine games (8W-1D), two points ahead of Chelsea. In the WCL opener, Andrée Jeglertz’s team came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Bayern Munich. All very, very positive.
On the bad, their home performance against Real Madrid lacked urgency and direction. They took a point but only put two of their 16 shots on target. Then they followed up by conceding an equalizer to PSG three minutes after Bunny Shaw’s 85th-minute penalty. Mental lapses won’t be forgiven at the U-Power Stadium; neither will wasting opportunities.
Inter Players to Watch
Maltese striker Haley Bugeja has nine goals in all competitions, including two in each of her last two games. She needs to find the net to give Inter a chance. Karolina Vilhjálmsdóttir has added four goals from midfield. That stalwart defense (omitting the Lyonnes fiasco) is led by Milinković and Rúnarsdóttir. Summer signings Sheila GarcÃa, Samantha van Diemen and Antionette Payne have added depth. One two players are unavailable for this fixture: experienced midfielder Lina Magull and Clarisse Le Bihan. Both have been out the past month.
Manchester City Players to Watch
Bunny Shaw is simply remarkable at the moment. She scored a hat-trick in Saturday’s 5-0 win over West Ham, in her 150th appearance for City. Her WSL tally is 12 goals in nine games, and she’s only three away from Vivianne Miedema’s all-time WSL scoring record. Lauren Hemp also has 11 contributions in WSL play. Unfortunately, all this firepower hasn’t really shown up for the WCL. Summer signing Carlotta Wamser has settled in at full back and has an assist, but Shaw is still the main focus. Sadly, City will be missing Beth Mead on Tuesday. She leads a long list of injured players which include Niamh Charles, Alex Greenwood and Anna Moorhouse. Miedema’s knee recovery still isn’t complete.
The Verdict
Don’t let the standings fool you: City are the clear favorites here. And Bunny Shaw is in the kind of form that can single-handedly decide a game. Of course, Inter have yet to concede at home, but shipping six to Lyonnes does mean that they can be scored on.
One big factor is the upcoming weekend’s ties. Manchester City will be traveling to Chelsea, in a match that, even though the season is young, could dictate the direction of the WSL season. They’ll need to focus, or else they could allow Inter Milan to not only gain some revenge, but also earn the biggest result in their history.
Match Details
- Competition: UEFA Women’s Champions League, League Phase, Matchday 4
- Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
- Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT (9:00 p.m. local time in Italy)
- Venue: Stadio Brianteo (U-Power Stadium), Monza, Italy
- Watch: Streaming on ESPN+ and Paramount+
The Qooligan is an alias of Hooligan Soccer founder Q Williams. Q is a 20+ year veteran of numerous technology and media companies, including MTV, Gracenote, Watchwith and Crunchyroll. He has a master’s degree in European History from Columbia University. Q is also a respected Sports Journalist with extensive experience in Soccer, particularly the Premier League, Champions League, MLS and USL. The Qooligan provides analysis and valuable insights based on years of professional practice. Connect with The Qooligan on X and Bluesky. He is committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy content that reflects expertise, experience and no shortage of attitude.
