Despite Manchester City's high standards in recent years, their back-to-back draws with Chelsea and Liverpool before the international break have been viewed as disappointing. Currently, they trail Arsenal in the Premier League standings, with Arsenal leading on 30 points, and Manchester City closely behind on 29 points after 13 matches.
While Manchester City has a significant league fixture against Tottenham Hotspur next weekend, their focus is now on the Champions League, a competition they won last season. In the current tournament, they have maintained a perfect record in Group G, winning all four fixtures and sitting comfortably at the top with 12 points. A victory or draw against Leipzig on Tuesday would secure their first position in the group before their final game against Red Star Belgrade next month.
The previous encounter between Manchester City and Leipzig in Germany ended in a 3-1 victory for City. Since their semi-final defeat to Real Madrid in the 2021-22 campaign, City has remained unbeaten in the Champions League. On the other hand, Leipzig, who reached the semi-finals in 2019-20, secured their spot in the knockout round with two games to spare, having defeated Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys in Group G.
Leipzig's chance to claim the top spot in the group hinges on a win on Tuesday. However, Manchester City has been undefeated at home in the Champions League since August 2020, posing a significant challenge for the visiting team.
Leipzig comes into this match after a 2-1 defeat to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, leaving them in fifth position in the league table. With only one win in their last four away matches and three defeats, Leipzig faces a tough task on Tuesday against a Manchester City side eager to bounce back from their recent draw with Liverpool in the Premier League.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Manchester City might see the return of Jack Grealish to their squad after he missed the weekend clash against Liverpool due to illness. Although John Stones and Sergio Gomez were back on the bench on Saturday following recent injury setbacks, Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes were absent, and their participation in the upcoming game remains uncertain.Kevin De Bruyne is recovering from a serious hamstring problem and is expected to make a comeback in the early part of next year. While Josko Gvardiol could potentially make a return for this match, Manager Pep Guardiola is likely to keep changes minimal, aiming to secure the top spot in the group. The majority of the team that faced Liverpool is expected to take the field again.
On the Leipzig side, four players—Timo Werner, Dani Olmo, Willi Orban, and El Chadaille Bitshiabu—are sidelined due to injury. Coach Marco Rose may make just one change from their recent league match, with Emil Forsberg expected to feature in a wide position. Yussuf Poulsen, who scored against Wolfsburg, is anticipated to be part of the attacking lineup alongside Lois Openda.
Additionally, Xavi Simons, who has been in impressive form for the German club this season, is set to earn another start. He has contributed six goals and eight assists in 19 appearances across all competitions.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Akanji; Foden, Alvarez, B Silva, Doku; Haaland
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Blaswich; Henrichs, Simakan, Lukeba, Raum; Simons, Schlager, Haidara, Forsberg; Openda, Poulsen
EXPERT PREDICTION
Manchester City 2-1 RB Leipzig
