Sommer vows Inter will ‘defend with all we have’ to stop Haaland

Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer is adamant his side can stop the prolific Erling Haaland from scoring even if they remain wary of Manchester City’s other attacking threats.

Italian title-holders Inter will face the in-form Haaland when they begin their latest Champions League campaign away to City, the team that beat them in the 2023 final, on Wednesday.

Haaland has already scored nine goals, including two hat-tricks, in City’s first four Premier League games of the season, with the 24-year-old Norway forward’s overall tally for the English champions now standing at a staggering 99 goals in just 103 appearances.

But former Switzerland number one Sommer believes Inter can prevent Haaland making it 100 goals for City on Wednesday.

“Everyone is asking about Erling Haaland,” Sommer told a pre-match press conference at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. “He is one of the best strikers in the business. 

“He is strong, fast with a good shot. I have played against him several times and I know how he plays. I know his style and I will try to give him a big challenge.

“But we don’t just have to stop Erling Haaland—we have to stop Manchester City. He gets the ball from the players around him. They have a lot of quality.”

Sommer added: “But we have a lot of quality on our side, we defend our goal with everything we have and we are hard in the duels.

“We prepare well for all the strikers. We want to try to put our ideas on the pitch and then it will be a good game.”

Sommer was not at Inter when the clubs last met in that 2023 Champions League final in Istanbul where Rodri scored the only goal of the game as City were crowned kings of Europe for the first time in their history.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi is expecting another tough encounter but insists this match—the two sides’ first of the competition’s new league phase—has nothing to do with settling old scores.

“This is not about revenge,” said Inzaghi. “It is not a final. I have no regrets about that final because I know the team gave everything.

“We all know about City. They are extremely well-organised, strong and playing at home.

“We know what we need to do — we have to pull out all the stops. All the guys know we are playing a really top team.”