Manchester City shift their focus back to the UEFA Champions League at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night as they face AEK Athens in the hopes of getting back to winning ways in the competition.
MATCH PREVIEW: Manchester City vs AEK Athens (UEFA Champions League)More Videos
Last time on the European stage, Manchester City and Paris Saint Germain delivered a night worthy of UEFA Champions League’s standards. Despite losing 2-4 with a bad first-half performance, Enzo Maresca’s men played an incredible second, in which they could have completed a comeback.
With three points, thanks to a 0-2 away victory at FC Porto, City are currently 17th in the league phase, with all goals in the Champions League so far having been scored by Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who is on an eight game scoring streak for the club.
The past weekend, Ipswich Town visited the Etihad Stadium, with the Citizens getting the better of the Tractor Boys: a 3-2 win to keep a 100 per cent winning record going in the league. The result ensured manager Enzo Maresca became the first ever to triumph in his first seven matches in charge of a Premier League club.
Injury concerns were raised as Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, Nico O’Reilly, Erling Haaland, and Antoine Semenyo all struggled towards the end of the match. However, in pre-match media duties on Monday, Maresca said Haaland is fine, while Semenyo is expected to be out for eight weeks due to a non-muscular injury.
Now, Manchester City face Greek giants AEK Athens - the third match in a row across competitions to be played at the Etihad. The encounter hands the possibility to re-establish good form in continental duties as the Blues aim for a top-eight spot and a direct place in the last-16.
Here is how we predict Manchester City to line-up against AEK Athens!
Predicted XI
Gianluigi Donnarumma will have the chance to redeem himself on the European stage this week after his mistake against his former club last time out, enabling Maghnes Akliouche to put Paris Saint-Germain 1-4 ahead at that stage of the game.
Playing as a right-back, the naturally central defensive Abdukodir Khusanov may earn his second start in a row under the lights at the Etihad Stadium, following on from the outing against PSG last week.
Young and highly-rated Brazilian central defender Vitor Reis could get first start in the UEFA Champions League for Manchester City on Tuesday night, particularly with Enzo Maresca expected to further rotate his options.
With Marc Guehi joining Enzo Maresca for the pre-AEK Athens press conference on Monday afternoon, that appearance could be a hint towards him being selected to begin against the Greeks.
Josko Gvardiol could also return to the starting line-up in this one, particularly with Nico O’Reilly suffering reoccurrence of an earlier back problem during the second-half against Ipswich, as revealed by Enzo Maresca following the game.
After their start on the bench against Gary O'Neil's side on Saturday, a midfield duo of Enzo Fernandez and Elliot Anderson is likely to feature for Manchester City in this one. The Argentinian and Englishman should both start together to control the tempo of the play.
As a No.10, Rayan Cherki may return to the Manchester City line-up after being left as a substitute against Ipswich Town at the weekend, no doubt aiming to continue his impressive form for the club this season.
On a good run of form of his own, summer recruit from Everton, Iliman Ndiaye, may begin his second match on the bounce as a starter for Manchester City from the right-wing position.
Unstoppable striker Erling Haaland is expected to keep his place up front for Manchester City in the hopes of extending his goalscoring record this season and in the UEFA Champions League.
Completing a possible line-up against AEK Athens, Jeremy Doku will be on the left-hand side for Manchester City, where the Belgian international looks to have made the spot deservedly his.
Starting XI: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Reis, Guehi, Gvardiol; Anderson, Fernandez, Cherki; Ndiaye, Foden, Doku.
Substitutes: Rulli, Bettinelli, Lewis, Dias, Braithwaite, Ait-Nouri, Bouaddi, Allan, McAidoo, F. Samba.