Manchester City will travel to take on Monaco at Stade Louis-II as part of Wednesday’s Champions League action. The Citizens beat Napoli 2-0 on matchday one, securing all three points courtesy of second-half strikes from Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku.
Pep Guardiola’s team have once again been erratic in the Premier League, but few expect City to falter on the European stage, where their pedigree and experience continue to set them apart as they head to France.
The opening round was a completely different story for the hosts, as Monaco were shockingly battered 4-1 by Belgian side Club Brugge as reported by Softfootball, and will be keen to get off the mark in midweek, even if the odds are stacked against them.
Pep Guardiola’s men are desperate to get back to the top of Europe ahead of a busy week as outlined on the club official website, while Adi Hütter’s Monaco want to remind everyone why they’re such a dangerous side on nights like this. City are the favourites, no doubt. But history tells us not to rule Monaco out.
Team News
All eyes will be on whether Paul Pogba will be considered fit enough for a dream debut against Man City, but the former Manchester United star is likely still a couple of weeks away from being fully match ready.
Hutter is also managing without Lamine Camara (ankle), Denis Zakaria (groin), Aleksandr Golovin (hamstring) and number one goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky (knee), but Kehrer’s sending-off at the weekend means nothing for his Champions League availability.
Thanks to another inconsequential late strike at the weekend, Barcelona loanee Fati already boasts an eye-catching four goals from three substitute appearances for Monaco, and a first start on Wednesday is not beyond the realm of possibility.
While German international Thilo Kehrer might have been shown a first-half red card against Lorient over the weekend, the former West Ham defender is free to feature here. While Mika Biereth might have notched just a single Ligue 1 strike since opening up the new campaign, the 22-year-old should keep his spot leading the line.
Man City meanwhile, came through their battering of Burnley with no new concerns on the fitness front, but the increasingly injury-plagued Rodri missed that Premier League win due to a knee concern and is on the touch-and-go list for Monaco.
Guardiola is expected to do without Abdukodir Khusanov (ankle), Rayan Ait-Nouri (unspecified) and Omar Marmoush (knee) for a little while longer too, while Rayan Cherki’s thigh injury is unlikely to heal fully until November.
Banking two goals and an assist at the weekend, talisman Haaland will now play his 50th Champions League game on Wednesday night; with an astounding 50 strikes from 49 matches so far, he has already broken the record for the most competition goals in a player’s first half-century of appearances.
Possible Lineups
Monaco Possible starting Lineups: Kohn; Vanderson, Dier, Kehrer, Henrique; Akliouche, Coulibaly, Teze, Fati; Balogun, Biereth
Manchester City possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Nunes, Stones, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gonzalez; Bobb, Silva, Reijnders, Doku; Haaland
SoftFootball’s Prediction
Monaco, coming off a heavy defeat against Club Brugge, will look to regroup and exploit their home advantage. Their recent loss suggests a vulnerability at the back, which Manchester City’s potent attack, fresh from a convincing win over Napoli, could exploit.
Monaco’s forwards, however, showed glimpses of threat and might find opportunities against City’s defence. Manchester City however confident by their solid performance against Napoli, will aim to control the game’s tempo and dominate possession. Their clinical finishing could be decisive, but they must remain vigilant against Monaco’s counter-attacks. So, expect a competitive match where City’s experience and form edge them over a resilient Monaco side.
