There is no clear favorite to win the UEFA Champions League this season. A strong case can be made to label all of the following teams: PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and Arsenal as the leading contender. Manchester City are right there behind them, at the top of the next tier.
Man City won their UCL opener, with AS Monaco the opponent for matchday two.
This should be a win, on paper, for City, but obviously, games are not played on paper.
Champions League Matchday 2 of 8
Manchester City at AS Monaco
Kickoff: Wed. Oct. 1, 8pm, Stade Louis II, Monaco
Manchester City Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
UCL Standing, Form: Manchester City 9th, 3 pts, +2 GD, W AS Monaco 34th, 0 pts, -3 GD, L
So with that in mind, let’s take a look at who manager Pep Guardiola might select for his first team in this clash. Obviously, Pep will go with a very strong team here.
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction at AS Monaco
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol, Rico Lewis; Oscar Bobb, Bernardo Silva, Tijjani Reijnders; Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter