Manchester City’s 2023/24 UEFA Champions League campaign kicks off on Tuesday, 19 September as the Citizens host Crvena Zvezda – or Red Star Belgrade, as they are more commonly known.
With the Blues having come from behind to win against West Ham United on Saturday, Pep Guardiola has named a similar starting eleven for this European encounter. With the Spaniard’s side expected to line up in a 4231 formation, Josko Gvardiol and Manuel Akanji drop to the bench – making room for Nathan Aké and Sergio Gómez.
Jérémy Doku also starts this fixture on the sideline, with Bernardo Silva moving out to the flanks as Matheus Nunes slots into Guardiola’s midfield.
City will see themselves as clear favourites for this clash, having lifted the famed UEFA Champions League trophy in Istanbul just a few months ago – but their Serbian opposition must not be underrated. The Belgrade-based outfit cruised to victory in the SuperLiga last term, finishing at the top of the table with a twenty-point buffer.
Barak Bakhar’s side is also expected to utilise a 4231 formation on Tuesday evening, with Cherif Ndiaye leading the line for Crvena Zvezda.
MCI: Ederson; Gómez, Aké, Dias, Walker; Nunes, Rodri; Foden, Álvarez, Silva; Haaland
CRV: Glazer; Rodic, Dragovic, Djiga, Mijailović; Stamenić, Hwang; Mitrović, Ivanić, Bukari; Ndiaye
