This matchup marks their first encounter since September when Manchester City overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Red Star 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on matchday one. Red Star Belgrade, facing Man City in their final European fixture of the 2023-24 campaign, is certain to finish at the bottom of Group G and exit Europe altogether.
They've had a tough run, losing four and drawing one in their initial five Champions League matches this season. Red Star's hopes for a Europa League spot dimmed with a 2-0 away defeat to Young Boys on matchday five, extending their Champions League away losing streak to nine games.
Despite their European struggles, Barak Bakhar's team rebounded with three consecutive domestic victories, outscoring opponents 9-1. Last weekend's 3-1 home win over Mladost Lucani in the Serbian SuperLiga also saw them set a new European record for the longest unbeaten league run at home – an incredible 122 games without defeat since 2017, surpassing Real Madrid's previous record of 121 from 1957 to 1965.
Now, Red Star shifts focus to Wednesday's Champions League clash with Man City, aiming to avoid consecutive home defeats for the first time since 2019. Meanwhile, Manchester City, currently fourth in the Premier League, bounced back from a challenging period with a crucial 2-1 victory over Luton Town on Sunday. Despite trailing at halftime, goals from Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish secured a hard-fought three points.
With six fixtures in 17 days, including the midweek clash at Red Star and a Premier League match against Crystal Palace, followed by two Club World Cup games in Saudi Arabia, and ending the year with top-flight games against Everton and Sheffield United, City faces a demanding schedule.
Although playing for pride, Pep Guardiola's squad has the incentive to become only the second English club, after Liverpool in 2021-22, to win all six Champions League group-stage matches in a single season. A victory on Wednesday would also make them the first English team in European Cup/Champions League history to win eight consecutive games in the competition.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Red Star has not reported any injury concerns leading up to this match, so Bakhar might have a fully-fit squad at his disposal.Kosta Nedeljkovic, who, at just 17 years and 347 days, recently became the youngest player to score an own goal in the Champions League, made his full debut in the last match against Young Boys. The right-back is hopeful of retaining his spot in the starting XI over Stefan Mitrovic.
Osman Bukari, who scored against Man City at the Etihad three months ago, and Jean-Philippe Krasso have collectively scored 15 goals this season. The attacking duo is expected to play a crucial role in the final third on Wednesday.
Turning to Manchester City, Erling Haaland is ruled out due to a "bone stress reaction" in his foot but is set to return to training on Thursday. Jeremy Doku is sidelined for one or two weeks with a muscle problem, and Kevin De Bruyne is still recovering from a hamstring injury.
Guardiola is likely to rotate his starting lineup for this inconsequential fixture. Stefan Ortega may replace Ederson in goal, and players like Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Rico Lewis, and Sergio Gomez are in contention for positions in defense or midfield.
If Guardiola decides to rest key midfielder Rodri, Kalvin Phillips could see a rare start in the engine room. With Haaland absent, either Julian Alvarez or Oscar Bobb is expected to begin as the central striker.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Red Star Belgrade possible starting lineup:Glazer; Nedeljkovic, Djiga, Dragovic, Mijailovic, Rodic; In-Beom, Stamenic, Ivanic; Krasso, Bukari
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ortega; Lewis, Stones Akanji, Gomez; Phillips, Kovacic; Bobb, Nunes, Grealish; Alvarez
EXPERT PREDICTION
Red Star Belgrade 1-2 Manchester City
However, City remains focused on building momentum from their recent victory over Luton. The lineup chosen by Guardiola is expected to be robust enough to outscore their Serbian opponents and secure maximum points in the upcoming match.
