Manchester City will host Copenhagen in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16. The Citizens won the first leg 3-1 in Denmark three weeks ago. It gives them a two-goal edge going into this match.
Preview (Manchester City vs. Copenhagen)
At the Etihad on Sunday, Man City defeated rivals Manchester United 3-1. They rallied from behind at halftime to secure their 17th victory of an incredible 19-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. This result boosted their ambitions of winning the Premier League. The Red Devils’ stunning first-half goal from Marcus Rashford—dubbed the best player in the Premier League by manager Pep Guardiola—and an incredible second-half brace from Phil Foden—scored in stoppage time to give the triumphant hosts the bragging rights. Despite this setback, the reigning champions eventually prevailed in a commanding fashion.
On Sunday, the Citizens will play a tantalizing and perhaps crucial match at the top of the table at Anfield against Liverpool. Guardiola and company also have a quarterfinal FA Cup matchup with Newcastle United coming up. They must return their focus to the Champions League to finish the job against Copenhagen. It will guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals for the seventh straight season.
Man City defeated Copenhagen on February 13 thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Foden. The Citizens, have defeated the Danish team five times in their previous meetings. They will be confident in their chances of winning on Wednesday. If they win, they will join Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as the only teams in Champions League history with at least ten straight victories (10 until February 2015 and 15 until November 2020).
Team News
Jack Grealish, who has a groin issue might not be able to play for England during the international break. He is the sole injury absentee for Man City. Josko Gvardiol returned to the matchday squad last weekend after missing six games due to an ankle injury. The Croatian defender may be able to start at left-back, which would mean Nathan Ake would either have to move to center-back or be dropped from the starting lineup.
With their two-goal lead over Copenhagen and an eye towards Sunday’s trip to Liverpool, Guardiola would be tempted to make a few changes to his starting lineup. As a result, players like Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Lewis, Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, and Julian Alvarez might get the start. Regarding Copenhagen, Theo Sander, Davit Khocholava (both knee), Viktor Claesson (unspecified), and Luke Lerager (available to return from a one-match ban) are all in the treatment room with injuries. The latter was substituted out during the first half of Friday’s loss at Midtjylland.
Manchester City 3-0 Copenhagen
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