Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has heaped praise on Inter Milan ahead of Wednesday's Champions League opener at the Etihad Stadium.
The two teams meet for the just the second time in their history and for the first time since the 2023 Champions League final when the Citizens secured a slender 1-0 victory in Istanbul before lifting Europe's most prestigious club trophy for the first time.
Inter, who have not won the Champions League since 2010, were eliminated in the last 16 of last season's competition, but the 2023-24 campaign was deemed a success as Simone Inzaghi's men won their 20th Serie A title in comfortable fashion, finishing 19 points clear of rivals AC Milan in second.
The Nerazzurri have since made an unbeaten start to the new season and Guardiola has made it clear that he is preparing his Man City players for a challenging contest against a "special" side on Wednesday.
Speaking about Inter at a press conference on Tuesday, Guardiola said: "Historical team and incredible mentality. They are built to win every single game and to win every competition.
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Guardiola: 'Inter have something special'
"Last year they won a lot and that means in the mindset of the players they can do it, which is similar to us.
"They have good high pressing and go man-to-man so they are similar to Brentford [in that regard] and after they defend with typical Italian mentality that they have to suffer. They are also strong in set pieces. Incredible qualities.
"Good guys from second line, especially [Nicolo] Barella. I don't know if he will be fit tomorrow but every time from [Federico] Dimarco crosses arrive with four or five players in the box.
"You cannot reach the Champions League final and win Serie A with 90 percent of the same players if you don't have something special."
Inter fans are keen to see the back of Man City's star lynchpin Rodri who scored the all-important match-winner in the 2023 final, but the Spaniard is in contention to start on Wednesday and he has labelled the Serie A side as a 'complete team'.
"We watched the game yesterday but I don't need to watch them to know how they play," Rodri told reporters. "I know the players and how they perform. They defend well and their transitions are very good.
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Rodri praises 'complete team' Inter ahead of CL clash
"They are very solid and they know what to do. They have big stars like Lautaro [Martinez], and important players in midfield like Barella and [Hakan] Calhanoglu.
"They aren't a big star team like they have a main guy, they are a complete team. We know it will be like knocking on a wall because of how Italian teams defend.
"The midfield are the guys that control the game for them. They pass from defence to attack at high speed. They are strong in that area but we are strong too. It will be a good battle to watch."
Man City enter Wednesday's contest after beating Brentford 2-1 in the Premier League last weekend, while Inter were forced to rescue a 1-1 draw away against Monza to preserve their unbeaten start to the Serie A season.
Both teams will also have one eye on top-flight showdowns this weekend, with Man City taking on Premier League title rivals Arsenal on Sunday, just a few hours before Inter lock horns with AC Milan at San Siro.
Oliver Thomas
