Manchester City lock horns with Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday night’s Champions League clash at the Signal Iduna Park and Pep Guardiola could ring the changes from the side that beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 on Saturday evening.
City have an injury doubt in Aymeric Laporte while Phil Foden will hope to return to the starting eleven after being benched on the weekend, so how could the Sky Blues line up?
Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund: What will the outcome be?
Man City to win
Draw
Dortmund to win
Ederson has three clean sheets from four Champions League games this season, so he won’t lose his place between the sticks against Dortmund.
Manuel Akanji has been a regular as a makeshift right-back since Kyle Walker picked up an injury and was praised by Guardiola for his versatility in defence, so he should get the nod again.
Ruben Dias should keep his place at centre-back as Akanji will be needed at right-back while John Stones isn’t fully fit after returning from injury.
Nathan Ake should get the nod alongside Dias as Laporte picked up a knock against Brighton and might be rested rather than risked.
Joao Cancelo can start at left-back if Akanji plays on the right. The 28-year-old has scored two goals with five assists from defence this season, so he won’t lose his place any time soon.
Rodri is nailed on to start in his usual deep-lying role against Dortmund. The 26-year-old hasn’t put much of a foot wrong and Kalvin Phillips is still recovering from injury, so the Spaniard is one of the first names on the teamsheet right now.
Kevin De Bruyne isn’t at risk of losing his place either. The 31-year-old has scored two goals with 11 assists from 15 games this season, so City can’t afford to leave their best playmaker out of the side. Bad news for Ilkay Gundogan.
Bernardo Silva is indispensable to Guardiola. The 28-year-old can do a job out wide, but he’s spent most of the season as a central midfielder, turning over possession and creating chances better than most, so he won’t sit out on Tuesday night.
Phil Foden should return to the starting lineup after being benched on the weekend. Riyad Mahrez wasn’t at his best against Brighton and was hooked in the second-half, so Guardiola could swap the pair for Europe.
Erling Haaland scored two goals on Saturday and has five goals in three Champions League games, so his place in the side is nailed down. The 22-year-old already has 22 goals for the season.
Jack Grealish still isn’t producing goals or assists, but he should get the nod on the left flank to win freekicks from his trickery in possession. The 27-year-old is composed on the ball and is getting involved creatively, so he’s still useful to Guardiola.
Predicted XI v Dortmund: Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Ake, Cancelo; Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva; Foden, Haaland, Grealish
In other news, Nathan Ake could start v Dortmund after being dropped in Brighton win
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