Manchester City are still looking to realise their Champions League dream, and begin their latest attempt with a clash against RB Leipzig in the last 16, with both sides having impressed in the group stages of the competition.
The Cityzens, currently second in the Premier League, have made it clear that Europe’s premier competition is their priority this season after coming so close to winning it across the last two seasons.
But to continue their dream, they will have to beat high-flying Leipzig, who sit just four points off the summit of the Bundesliga, having lost just one of their last five games in the German top flight.
The two sides have history, despite their relatively recent arrival in the Champions League, with the two clubs drawn in the same group last season and each winning one and losing one of the two clashes between the two sides.
With goals set to be the order of the day, here’s how we expect Manchester City to line up, and the latest news from Pep Guardiola’s camp.
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Predicted XI
Team News
City have several injury concerns heading into the tie, with John Stones still sidelined with a hamstring injury that he picked up against Arsenal in the FA Cup fourth round tie.
Riyad Mahrez was left on the bench against Nottingham Forest, but has been Guardiola’s preferred choice on the right flank in recent months and is likely to start the clash in Germany, while City may also forego the Bernardo Silva left-back experiment in the name of a more solid defence, where we expect Nathan Ake to be fielded instead of the Portuguese maestro.
Meanwhile, Phil Foden is likely to remain on the bench, with Guardiola recently suggesting that he was now fighting with Mahrez for a spot in the side, a battle that the Algerian will likely win on Wednesday.
