Manchester City host RB Leipzig in the last 16 of the Champions League this evening with the aggregate score locked at 1-1, writes gulfnews.com.
Despite a four-game winning streak from the first leg, City need a win at home to avoid being eliminated at this stage of the tournament for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
They will also be looking to extend Arsenal’s 14-year unbeaten run in the Champions League to an English side. Leipzig will be seeking their first defeat in the city in 2023 and continue their five-game unbeaten run in Europe’s elite competition. Leipzig warmed up for the game with a 3-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Saturday, while City beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola will have a fit squad for the second leg, with Kevin De Bruyne expected to return to the starting line-up. Riyad Mahrez, who has scored in three Champions League games against Leipzig so far, could expect to start.
Leipzig, on the other hand, will be without Christopher Nkunku, who has a fresh hamstring problem since recovering from a long-term knee injury. He joins Xaver Schlager, Peter Gulacsi and Abdou Diallo on the sidelines.
The defense has not come out on top in previous meetings between these two sides, with both teams scoring in all three matches. Despite the absence of Nkunku and injuries to other key players, Leipzig will look to pull off an upset at the Etihad Stadium.
However, home advantage and a full City squad could be enough to reach the quarter-finals. In the evening’s other game, Edin Dzeko looked to be preferred over Romelu Lukaku to start the attack for the Nerazzurri away to Porto.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, the 36-year-old prefers the two forwards to lead the line from the start alongside Lautaro Martinez.
Nerazzurri coach Simone Inzaghi hasn’t thought of either of the pair from the start or from the bench. In the first match against Porto, Dzeko started and it was Lukaku who came off the bench and scored the only goal of the match.
Meanwhile, Porto coach Sergio Conceicao is expecting a balanced and tough Champions League clash with Inter, believing the loss to Spezia will not affect the European clash.
The Nerazzurri won 1-0 in the first leg thanks to a late goal from Lukaku, setting up a tense second leg in Portugal. Inter really have no hope of catching Napoli in the title race, leaving the Champions League as their main focus this season.
The pressure continues to mount on coach Simone Inzaghi and many reports suggest that the result of this match with Porto could be the key to deciding his future at Inter.
Speaking at a press conference, Conceicao first touched on his expectations for Porto’s match with Inter.
“It will be a balanced match, very difficult, against a team full of good players. We know our opponents, but above all we know what we can do. We want to be strong, good in pressing, aggressive and, most importantly , intelligent.
He commented on the difference from the first leg, where the Nerazzurri won 1-0.
“The match may be the same, but it won’t be the same. It will also depend on the players who will play for Inter, for example, I have doubts whether Skriniar will be there or not.
“I don’t know if Dumfries will play, if Gosens will be there …. Then up front there is Dzeko, Lukaku and Lautaro, only two will play. Then it will depend on the strategy we use.
The Portuguese coach touched on Porto’s preparations for the decisive Champions League match.
“We prepare according to our characteristics as a team. In this top-level match, we have to play in the way we know, in the way we are most comfortable. If we adapt too much to the opponent, it may not be what we want.
“We are half way through the game. We have 90 minutes to try to cancel the result, but to do this we have to be smart during the game. It is important not to attack, we have to be patient and aggressive in the right way.
Conceicao was asked if his coaching style was suitable for the Champions League.
“I don’t think about that. My growth is related to the challenges we face every day, with the quality of the players, with the changes in the squad every year. I try not to see what I like but to learn a system that can extract the maximum potential from the player.
“This is what makes a coach grow. If you ask me which football I like the most, I will answer German football, it does not make me sleepy. Then I have a great passion for Italy, where I lived the best time of my career as player and therefore I have a strong bond with Italy.