City make eight changes for Tuesday’s return to UEFA Champions League action at home to AEK Athens.
Three Premier League games in December moved for TV coverage
Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Joško Gvardiol, Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernández, Allan, Rayan Cherki and teenager Floyd Samba all come into Enzo Maresca’s starting line-up for what is our third European league phase fixture.
From the side that beat Ipswich 3-2 last Saturday in the Premier League, Marc Guéhi, Iliman Ndiaye, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Jérémy Doku and Erling Haaland revert to the bench.
Matheus Nunes, Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovačić are not in tonight’s matchday squad whilst Antoine Semenyo is unavailable for selection with Maresca having revealed at Monday’s pre-match press conference that the Ghanaian winger is facing eight weeks on the sidelines through injury.
Teams
CITY XI: Donnarumma, Lewis, Khusanov, Dias (C), Gvardiol, Anderson, Fernández, Allan, Cherki, Foden, Samba.
Subs: Rulli, Bettinelli, Guéhi, Ndiaye, Haaland, Doku, Aït-Nouri, Reis, Bouaddi, McAidoo, Braithwaite.
AEK ATHENS XI: Brignoli, Rota, Moukoudi (C), Relvas, Pilios, Majer, Arriaga, Marin, Joao Mario, Varga, Jovic
Subs: Balamotis, Kairinen, Gacinovic, Zubkov, Koita, Mantalos, Vida, Lykogiannis, Vitalis, Zini
How we line up
Gianluigi Donnarumma will be the familiar figure in goal with the Italian shot-stopper shielded by a back four of Lewis, Khusanov, skipper Dias and Gvardiol.
Anderson and Fernández will provide the midfield protective shield with Cherki also set to be in the engine room.
Floyd Samba, on what is the 17-year-old’s first Champions League start, is set to be City’s attacking focus with Phil Foden and Allan also upfront.
However, those positions are subject to change such is City’s tactical flexibility!
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One to remember
It’s a landmark occasion for City tonight as we chalk up our 150th competitive Champions League clash.
That century and a half comes in our 15th successive campaign in Europe’s elite competition, the longest active run of any English side.
In total, City have won 83 of our first 149 matches in the Champions League, scoring 313 goals and conceding just 180 in that time.
To date, 2022/23 undoubtedly marked the Blues’ crown jewel when it comes to Champions League campaigns, with City swatting aside the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid before a tense, historic 1-0 win over Inter to lift the trophy in the Istanbul showpiece.
First footing
It may be 150 games up for City in the Champions League – but tonight will mark the first-ever meeting between the Blues and AEK.
City will also go into the game buoyed by a fine record against Greek opposition so far.
To date we haven’t lost any of our four games against Greek sides (winning three and drawing one).
Furthermore, we have yet to concede a single goal – further reasons for optimism ahead of another important assignment.
With three points from our first two games in the Champions League, a positive result tonight would also propel Enzo Maresca’s side back up the composite 36-team table with the Blues currently in 17th position.
Stats and facts
- AEK Athens have only faced an English side away from home in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League once before, losing by four goals at Nottingham Forest in November 1978 (1-5) in a last 16 match).
- Of the 20 occasions that a Greek side have played an English side away from home in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, only once have they returned victorious (D2 L17): Arsenal 2-3 Olympiakos in September 2015.
- The last team from outside of Europe’s big five leagues to win away at City in the UEFA Champions League was Basel in March 2018 (1-2). Since then, the Blues are unbeaten in 15 (W12 D3), averaging three goals per match (3.1 – 46 in total).
- City have lost two of our last three home games in the league/group phase of the UEFA Champions League (0-2 v Bayer Leverkusen and 2-4 v Paris Saint-Germain), after only losing one of their 32 such matches beforehand (1-2 v Lyon in September 2018).
- Of teams to play 20+ away matches in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, none have a lower away win percentage than AEK Athens: 4%, 1 win in 26 matches (Malmö FF also have a 4% away win rate).
- Erling Haaland has scored a brace in both of his UEFA Champions League matches for City this season. Only two players have scored 2+ goals in their team’s opening three games of a Champions League campaign: Milan’s Filippo Inzaghi in 2002-03 and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013-14.
- Lovro Majer leads all AEK Athens players for line-breaking passes (17) and line-breaking passes in the final third (9) in the UEFA Champions League this season, as well as being the only player to score from open play for the Greek side so far.
- City striker Erling Haaland has scored 27 goals in 22 UEFA Champions League games against opponents from outside of Europe’s big five leagues, averaging a goal every 63 minutes played.
City v Brighton: Carabao Cup tickets from £20 for adults and £1 for U18s
Tickets are now on sale for our Carabao Cup fourth round meeting with Brighton.
We host Fabian Hurzeler’s side at 19:30 (UK) on Wednesday 28 October.
Tickets for adults start from just £20, with all U18s only £1 – and you can also buy up to six tickets per person.
Taking place during half term school holidays too, it’s the perfect time to experience a night under the Etihad lights for all the family!
And there will be so much to do beforehand, with a Kids Fanzone just over the road at the City Football Academy ahead of kick-off.
Meanwhile, hospitality is available from just £100 with a range of packages on offer to suit your needs, whether a special occasion for a loved one or for something professional.
Book your place at the Seagulls encounter below.