Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola met the media today to preview tomorrow night’s massive UEFA Champions League quarterfinal clash at Liverpool, and we have video of it below via YouTube. He gave a very interesting session, revealing that striker Sergio Aguero has been left behind for the first leg of the UCL tie.
Aguero didn’t recover in time from the knee injury which kept him out of the 3-1 triumph over Everton in league play last weekend. However, he could return in time for the potential Premier League title-clinching Manchester derby on Saturday.
With Aguero out, Gabriel Jesus will lead the line tomorrow. He’ll be joined in attack by Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling.
“We are so happy with all (our young players) especially those three guys. You have to live these kinds of situations to be better,” Pep Guardiola said at this news conference Tuesday.
“They are young; Gabriel never played the quarterfinals of the Champions League in their lives and the first time will be here, but why should I doubt them when we did it at many stages this season quite well?
“If it doesn’t go well, it will be a good lesson for the future.”
“I have no worries, not at all. I saw players who are 32 more scared than those guys. It depends on the mentality of them and they are so good.”
Injury Report: go to this link
Liverpool Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Odds via Bet365 City 7/5 Liverpool 2/1 Draw 13/5
Prediction: Man City 5, Liverpool 4
As always, feel free to post to your own City and/or Liverpool starting XI predictions, as well as your score predictions, in the comments section below.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Sound Cloud, LinkedIn and YouTube.