Pep Guardiola did something different vs Inter Milan to send fresh message to Man City players

At the risk of turning into a fashion report rather than a match report - Pep Guardiola set the tone for his Manchester City side vs Inter Milan far better than his players did.

City were debuting their 'Definitely City' kit against Inter Milan, the first time they have not worn their home kit at home in almost 20 years - and without the excuse of trying to sell the next year's shirts on the final game of a season.

The Oasis-inspired rhubarb and custard kit has divided opinion online but proved a hit among City fans - who are, after all, the target market. But it felt a little gimmicky for what will be their toughest home game in the new Champions League format.

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So Guardiola ditched the cardigan, there was no training top or the casual jumper he often wears. For the visit of Inter, there was a classy suit with a black jumper underneath. He meant business.

While opposite number Simone Inzaghi jumped around like Guardiola of old, the City boss was the definition of calm. He can sometimes get engrossed in a game, kicking every ball and removing any filter from his thoughts to what comes out in instructions to his players.

But here, he was content observing the tactical battle in front of him and restricting his interventions to minimal interactions with his players. It felt like a different approach from the manager, wary of an Inter side who made them work for every bit of their Champions League final success 15 months ago.

As Inzaghi fell to his knees in desperation when Henrikh Mkhitaryan blazed over, the extent of Guardiola's emotion was some hands on the head or an extended shake of the head for a booking to Ruben Dias. Even when City looked to be repeating mistakes from the weekend as Inter carved through their centre, the manager was not as animated as he might usually be in those situations.

Only as the final whistle approached did Guardiola revert to his usual self - big gestures for misplaced passes and at one point he accidentally walked onto the pitch, unaware of his bearings for a second. In general, though, it was like we were watching Inzaghi on fast forward and Guardiola on half-speed.

Maybe he is wary of expending too much energy ahead of the Arsenal clash at the weekend. Maybe he is still aware of the fitness issues in his squad that saw Rodri have a poor game by his high standards or Phil Foden play his first minutes in six games for club and country.

But in truth, his calmness probably reflected his true feelings on the game - that a point against a well-drilled side is a good one. And there are seven more games to go in this competition to book a knockout place. City are up and running in the new era of the Champions League.