Manchester City know only too well how tough a nut Inter are to crack. The greatest night of City’s history, the Champions League final triumph against them in 2023, was not without its difficulties; the heart-stopping moments have gilded the legend. This was another reminder of the quality of Simone Inzaghi’s Italian champions, albeit without the same levels of drama.

The City supporters had come to see Erling Haaland and the striker’s latest assault on the history books. If he had scored, he would have become the fastest player to reach 100 goals for a club, narrowly eclipsing ­Cristiano Ronaldo’s mark for Real Madrid. It was game No 104 for ­Haaland. Ronaldo took 105.

Nobody really saw the Norwegian, save for a couple of first-half flickers; he remains on 99 goals before Sunday’s Premier League visit from Arsenal. And nobody saw enough from City, even though they almost nicked it in stoppage time when the substitute Ilkay Gündogan headed straight at Yann Sommer from point-blank range. The German was close with a diving header even later.

Related: Manchester City 0-0 Inter: Champions League – live reaction

It would have been cruel on Inter, who created good chances but, as on that night in Istanbul, lacked cutting edge, the final action consistently eluding them. At least they had something to show on this occasion for a nicely calibrated performance. One of the standout features, certainly in the first half, was how they played up and through City on the counter. They also defended as an Italian team should.

Inzaghi had insisted this was not a rematch, a night for revenge, although did anybody believe him? The history had been impossible to ignore and not only because the highlights of the final were replayed on the Etihad’s big screen in the countdown to kick-off, Rodri’s goal available from every angle.

City wore cream/light peach shirts, part of a collaboration with Oasis. They set out to play high and dominate the ball, as always. And yet it was hard for them because Inter – as in Istanbul – were well drilled in their 3-5-2 system, moving smartly, comfortable in and out of possession.

Inter compressed the space in their defensive third when City pushed and there were the times before the interval when Inzaghi’s team got through City with surprising ease. With Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne taking high positions, Inter could see inviting spaces between the lines. If only they could have timed some of their runs a little better in the first half – the offside flag was their enemy –or been more clinical with their shooting. Marcus Thuram was the principal offender.

It was nearly but not quite for Inter before the interval, Inzaghi going through agonies in his technical area, including when Thuram did not get hold of a cut-back from Piotr Zielinski. And when Ederson denied the overlapping Hakan Calhanoglu at the near post. Inter could also point to the moment when Mehdi Taremi chipped for goal with Ederson out of position, after he made a loose clearance. Josko Gvardiol headed clear.

Guardiola sprinted for the dressing room at half-time because there was much to discuss. The first half had been a slog for City. There was a lack of thrust in the final third, albeit Savinho had the beating of Carlos Augusto for pace. City’s best chance from the first period came when De Bruyne cut back from the left and Silva could not sort out his feet. Haaland sent one header straight at Sommer and dragged a shot narrowly wide.

Guardiola reshaped his midfield for the second half, introducing Phil Foden and Gündogan in the attacking central roles, and moving Silva to the right. Off came Savinho and De Bruyne, who had needed treatment after a coming together with Sommer. It was only Foden’s second appearance of the season as he has struggled with illness.

It was subdued for long spells, the home crowd longing for a spark and left to fret as Inter continued to look for the counter-punch in the second half. Inzaghi thought they had landed it in the 53rd minute when Taremi cut in from the left and sent Matteo Darmian scampering up the inside right into the area. He had to shoot and yet he looked for a backheeled pass which was never on. Cue another Inzaghi meltdown.

The Inter manager was on his knees, beating the ground, when the substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan banged high after a low cross from another replacement, Denzel Dumfries. The Armenian ought to have done better.

City went close when Foden blasted straight at Sommer and Gvardiol also worked the goalkeeper. They refused to accept that a first 0-0 here since Arsenal’s visit in March was their destiny. They pushed at the end, Gündogan getting into dangerous areas. The big chance came from a Gvardiol cross but his placement was poor. When his second header flew off target, Inter had the point they deserved.