Sports
Man City vs RB Leipzig: Champions League – LIVE!
A place in the Champions League quarter-finals is up for grabs at the Etihad Stadium tonight. Manchester City and Leipzig clash in the second leg of their last-16 tie, having battled to a 1-1 draw in Germany three weeks ago. In a proverbial game of two halves at the Red Bull Arena, Riyad Mahrez gave Pep Guardiola’s initially dominant side the lead before Josko Gvardiol headed in an equaliser 20 minutes from time.
City will be considered firm favourites to get the job done on home soil tonight having won 17 of 19 games in front of their own fans so far this term, but there will be no shortage of nerves as the reigning Premier League champions again feel the pressure of trying to finally end their hoodoo in Europe’s elite club competition. They remain right in the battle for further top-flight glory and FA Cup success, yet Guardiola accepts that it is their Champions League record on which he will ultimately be judged.
Marco Rose’s visitors currently sit third in the Bundesliga with only two losses since September. Kevin De Bruyne replaces Phil Foden tonight in Guardiola’s only change. Follow Man City vs RB Leipzig live below!
Live updates
KICK-OFF
We are underway!
City in their usual sky blue tonight, with Leipzig in black and red.
Here come the teams at the Etihad!
City led out by captain Ilkay Gundogan.
A huge night in the Champions League awaits.
City’s most famous fan keeping a close eye at pitchside…
Final preparations at the Etihad! Kick-off is now less than 15 minutes away.
Guardiola reveals where Haaland must improve
Erling Haaland spearheads City’s 4-3-3 as usual tonight and will be hopeful of adding further to his incredible 34-goal tally (five in the Champions League) so far this term after a winning penalty to down Crystal Palace.
Despite that amazing scoring form in his first season at the Etihad, however, Pep Guardiola believes he can still make improvements outside the penalty area.
“I don’t like one player just to score goals in the box. It’s important, we need it of him,” he said.
“But away from the opponents’ box where he cannot score a goal, we need him to be more active.
“We have to take a look at him and he has to be involved in what we’re doing. He has improved, he can be better.”
Fortress Etihad as Man City look to equal Arsenal record
Leipzig may well fancy their chances of an upset tonight, but City’s record in front of their own fans really is extraordinary.
They have won 17 of 19 home games already this season, and are unbeaten in their last 23 home matches in the Champions League – winning 21.
Per City’s official website, avoiding defeat tonight would see them equal Arsenal’s record for the longest home unbeaten run by an English club in Champions League history (24 games between September 2004 and April 2009).
Fortress Etihad!
It looks like plenty of Leipzig fans have made the trip to the Etihad tonight!
Will they be rewarded with a big Champions League upset?
Kampl replaces Silva in only Leipzig change
Leipzig show four changes from the first leg last month, with Benjamin Henrichs, David Raum, Amadou Haidara and Kevin Kampl all coming in.
Lukas Klostermann is a substitute again after battling illness, while Marcel Halstenberg and Andre Silva drop to the bench with Xaver Schlager out injured.
Kampl for Silva is Marco Rose’s only change from the team that cruised past Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Foden and Mahrez on bench as De Bruyne starts
So Pep Guardiola shows just the one change from the side that beat Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.
Phil Foden is the man that drops to the bench to accomodate Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the starting XI, with first-leg scorer Riyad Mahrez also staying among the substitutes.
That is also the case for Kyle Walker.
Walker and Mahrez are the two to drop out from the first leg, replaced by John Stones and De Bruyne.
RB Leipzig lineup
Starting XI: Blaswich, Henrichs, Orban, Gvardiol, Raum, Laimer, Haidara, Szoboszlai, Kampl, Forsberg, Werner
Subs: Simakan, Olmo, Poulsen, Nyland, Klostermann, Andre Silva, Halstenberg, Ba, Nickisch
