Manchester City continue their Champions League campaign at the Etihad on Tuesday night, as they take on Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen for the very first time.
City’s productive start to the league phase continued with an emphatic 4–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund before the November break, and their subsequent triumph against Premier League champions Liverpool convinced many that Pep Guardiola’s side were rediscovering an irresistible groove.
However, the Cityzens were overpowered by Newcastle United at the weekend, losing 2–1. Arsenal’s convincing success in the North London Derby less than 24 hours later means the Gunners are now six points clear at the summit, with City down in third.
Guardiola’s side are back on home soil in midweek, though, and their fourth win of the league phase will leave them in an excellent position regarding a top eight finish with three games to go.
Leverkusen undoubtedly made the right choice by replacing Erik ten Hag with Kasper Hjulmand in the dugout, with the 2023–24 Bundesliga champions up to third in the German top flight after beating Wolfsburg 3–1 at the weekend.
However, their first win in this competition didn’t arrive until Gameweek 4, when they secured a smash-and-grab victory over Benfica, leaving them on five points.
Guardiola opted for an unchanged team at the weekend, but the Spaniard will almost certainly tinker with his starting XI for Leverkusen’s visit.
The hosts are still without midfielders Mateo Kovačić and Rodri, while the forgotten Kalvin Phillips was also absent from training in the build-up to Tuesday’s game.
Rico Lewis was left out of Saturday’s matchday squad but will return to action here, although Abdukodir Khusanov could come into the team and start at right-back.
There may also be recalls for John Stones, Tijjani Reijnders and Omar Marmoush.
Man City predicted lineup vs. Bayer Leverkusen (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Stones; Bobb, Reijnders, Foden, Marmoush; Haaland.
