After a difficult Champions League league phase last season, where they finished 22nd and only just made the top 24, Manchester City came into this campaign determined to do much better.
Pep Guardiola’s side started strongly. They won three of their first four matches and drew one, picking up eye catching wins against Napoli and Borussia Dortmund. A disappointing 2–0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen slowed their progress, but City responded well with victories over Leeds United, Fulham and Sunderland in domestic action.
Watch highlight below:
City then produced one of their best European performances of the season on matchday six, beating Real Madrid 2–1 thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Nico O’Reilly.
That result capped a strong run of form, but momentum was lost soon after with back to back defeats against Manchester United and Bodo Glimt. Softfootball reported that The loss to Bodo Glimt dropped City to 11th in the league phase table. Manchester City has posted a video on their X handle showcasing their great performance at the Etihad.
Watch video below;
Now sitting outside the top eight on goal difference, City know a win against Galatasaray is crucial if they are to avoid the playoff round.
Galatasaray arrive as underdogs but cannot be overlooked. They still have work to do to secure qualification and have shown their quality with wins over Liverpool and Bodo Glimt. A positive result here would guarantee their place in the knockout rounds.
Team News
Manchester City are missing several key players through injury, including John Stones, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, while Rodri is suspended. Erling Haaland and Phil Foden are expected to return to the starting lineup.
Galatasaray will be without several squad players, but Victor Osimhen, who has six Champions League goals this season, is set to lead the attack.
Possible Lineups
Manchester City: Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly; Cherki, Foden, Lewis, Silva, Doku; Haaland
Galatasaray: Cakir; Sallai, Bardakci, Sanchez, Jakobs; Lemina, Torreira; Sane, Gundogan, Yilmaz; Osimhen
Prediction
City are strong favourites at home and should have enough quality to secure an important win, even against a dangerous Galatasaray side.
Where to watch
| Region / Country | TV Channel | Streaming Option |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports 6 | Prime Video UK, discovery+, discovery+ app |
| United States | — | Paramount+, ViX |
| Canada | — | DAZN Canada, |
