Man City vs Inter Milan Bet Builder Tips: Whistle at the ready for Wednesday’s ref

There's a repeat of the 2023 Uefa Champions League final at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday (20:00, TNT Sports 1) as Manchester City host Inter Milan in the competition's new-look League Phase.

Ahead of the game, I have drawn up a three-legged 8/1 bet builder featuring two players from the hosts, and one from the visitors, and you can check out my Man City vs Inter Milan bet builder tips below.

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Man City vs Inter Milan Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Man City vs Inter Milan page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Denzel Dumfries 2+ Fouls

First, I'm backing Denzel Dumfries, Inter's marauding right wing-back, to commit at least two fouls at the Etihad. The Dutchman is a serial fouler on the European stage, as evidenced by the fact he averaged 1.4 fouls per game in last season's Champions League, 1.2 in 2022/23, and 1.7 in 2021/22, all playing for Inter, while his only other campaign in the competition, in 2018/19, saw him average three fouls per game across six full matches for PSV Eindhoven.

The 28-year-old has surely matured since his PSV days, but the statistics show that he's still a consistent fouler, and that was also on display at Euro 2024 in the summer, where he averaged 1.8 fouls per game for the Netherlands across his five starts, peaking with four fouls in a goalless draw with France.

Dumfries is averaging 1.3 fouls per game in Serie A so far this season, making one, one, and two fouls respectively against Genoa, Lecce, and Monza, while in the Uefa Nations League earlier this month, he committed two fouls for his country versus Bosnia & Herzegovina and four against Germany.

The Rotterdam-born defender will be up against it on Wednesday as he contends with the likes of Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva, who were fouled four, one, and five times respectively when the sides met in last year's Champions League Final. Dumfries made two fouls in his 76 minutes on the pitch and is likely to be in direct competition again with Grealish, who thrives off winning free-kicks for his team and was fouled an average of 2.2 times in the competition last season (2.5 in 2022/23).

I can see Grealish and co drawing a few fouls from Dumfries, who won't be abandoning his front-footed approach.

Ruben Dias 1+ Fouls

Man City captain Ruben Dias didn't start Saturday's 2-1 win against Brentford, instead appearing as an 84th-minute substitute for John Stones. Still, I fully expect the Portuguese defender to begin Wednesday's contest, alongside either Stones or Manuel Akanji.

Apart from the fact he is the skipper and considered the club's best centre-back, Dias' physical prowess will also be a huge help against Inter, who will likely pair Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram in the attack. The duo are a handful, evidenced by the number of goals they scored last season, as well as the free-kicks they won for their team.

Martinez was fouled an average of 1.8 times in Serie A last term, and 1.4 times in the Champions League, while Thuram's numbers were lower in the Italian top flight (1.3) but higher in European competition (1.5). Already this season, Martinez has been fouled eight times across three Serie A outings, while Thuram's four appearances have seen him felled five times.

Dias, meanwhile, averaged 0.9 fouls per game in last season's Champions League and 0.7 in the year that City lifted the trophy for the first time, while his most recent start - against Scotland for Portugal in the Uefa Nations League - saw him commit three fouls.

The physicality of Inter's forwards should see the 27-year-old make at least one foul on Wednesday.

Rodri Carded

My third and final selection of this bet builder centres around a midfielder yet to make a start for City this season; in fact, Rodri only played his first minutes of the season for his club side as a second-half substitute against Brentford on Saturday. The 27-year-old was afforded extra time off following his exertions with Spain at Euro 2024, where he helped his country lift the trophy.

Rodri was back in the thick of it against the Bees, making one foul in his 45 minutes on the pitch, and despite being known for his composure on the ball, is certainly a player who isn't afraid of putting his foot in when required, averaging 1.1 fouls per game in the last two Champions League seasons, and even those two campaigns were well down from 2021/22 (1.9).

The Spaniard was booked in a quarter (2/8) of the Champions League games he played in last season, while he was shown eight yellows and one red in City's successful Premier League campaign.

Rodri was the hero when City and Inter met in the Champions League Final over a year ago, scoring the only goal in the 68th minute, and while I think he'll be heavily involved again this week, making his first City start of the season as he builds up fitness ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Arsenal, I don't think it will be for all the right reasons. His lack of game time in recent months may mean he is a little rusty, and given Inter's players are already up to speed, Rodri could be left lacking on a couple of occasions tomorrow night, with a card a real possibility.

Offers

Double Delight & Hat-Trick Heaven: Place a pre-match single bet on the first goalscorer market and get DOUBLE or TREBLE the odds if your winning First Goalscorer bet scores a 2nd and 3rd.

Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any Champions League game on Tuesday or Wednesday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Thursday’s Champions League games.

Check out the rest of our Football Betting Tips here.