Earlier than they will take into consideration making an attempt to overturn a one-goal deficit in opposition to Actual Madrid, Manchester Metropolis should flip attentions to the not-so-small matter of a Premier League go to from Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe’s Carabao Cup final-qualifying facet presently sit stage on factors with the reigning Premier League champions this season, with a remarkably comparable report of 12 wins, 5 attracts and 7 defeats apiece.
Thursday noticed the membership hit with the newest in an extended line of harm setbacks, as Manuel Akanji – who briefly appeared like a attainable resolution to the staff’s right-back issues within the first-leg in opposition to the Spanish facet – was dominated out for no less than two months.
There additionally stays a doubt over whether or not both the membership’s deadline day signing in Nico Gonzalez or Jack Grealish will probably be match sufficient to face the north-east giants this weekend, following their respective harm points within the final two matches.
However Pep Guardiola’s males have little selection aside from to mud themselves off and go once more, significantly in opposition to a staff that has, unbelievably, solely crushed them as soon as within the Premier League since 2005.
For as soon as, Liverpool dropping factors isn’t trigger for Manchester Metropolis tails to go up – so let’s take a look at the staff Pep Guardiola may flip to as he seems to be to safe a top-four end as an alternative this season!
Predicted XI
Ederson is undoubtedly within the doghouse after his second of insanity was maybe the one lowest level of our Champions League defeat, however we nonetheless count on him to start out in opposition to the Magpies as a result of his understudy, Stefan Ortega, has been removed from good this season both.
The harm to Manuel Akanji leaves a couple of choices at right-back; we now have a sense Matheus Nunes will reclaim his makeshift spot in defence over a few the extra naturally defensive choices.
Ruben Dias is so necessary to this Manchester Metropolis staff – even when the defence is poor he’s not often the issue. We expect he’ll begin alongside John Stones if each are match to play this weekend.
Josko Gvardiol, one in every of Manchester Metropolis’s finest gamers in midweek, will in all probability maintain his place at left-back and will probably be an necessary attacking outlet besides having endured a remarkably sturdy marketing campaign so far.
John Stones was wonderful in midfield for a lot of the Actual Madrid sport however health considerations imply he might be wanted on the again – so Bernardo Silva will in all probability must go as soon as once more, contemplating Guardiola’s press convention implied Nico continues to be not fairly prepared to start out.
Mateo Kovacic was one other wrongdoer in opposition to Actual Madrid however he didn’t begin the sport from the off, so the Croatian worldwide might be thought-about the freshest legs obtainable for the Newcastle sport.
It’s arduous to see how Kevin de Bruyne may play each legs of the last-16 play-off tie in opposition to Actual Madrid if he additionally begins in opposition to Newcastle United, so that might properly imply a begin for veteran, Ilkay Gundogan.
We’re predicting a return to the beginning eleven for brand spanking new boy Omar Marmoush on one wing and, on the opposite, Phil Foden, who performed nearly all of the Actual Madrid defeat regardless of not being named within the beginning line-up.
From Pep Guardiola’s press convention on Friday afternoon, it doesn’t sound like Jack Grealish – who made an excellent begin within the Champions League match – will get better in time.
With a uncommon uncertainty lingering round each goalkeepers, Erling Haaland is well the primary identify on the team-sheet. Not solely is he by far the most certainly scorer within the squad, however this season he has cemented his standing as Metropolis’s most dependable participant in opposition to the most important and finest.
Predicted XI: Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Stones, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, Gundogan; Foden, Haaland, Marmoush.
Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Lewis, Khusanov, Reis, Ake, Nico, De Bruyne, McAtee, Savinho.
