Bayer Leverkusen comes to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night as Manchester City look desperate for a potential “get right game.” Losing 2-1 to Newcastle United yesterday was very unexpected, and Pep Guardiola’s men are likely very eager to move on from that.
City certainly had momentum rolling their way, up until Saturday, and now the Sky Blues are looking to get it back in continental competition.
UCL Matchday 5 FYIs
Manchester City vs Bayer Leverkusen
Kickoff: Tue Nov. 29, 8pm local, Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
UCL Standings: Manchester City 4th, 10 pts Bayer Leverkusen 21st, 5 pts
UCL Form: Manchester City WDWW Bayer Leverkusen DDLW
Leverkusen may only be 21st in the UCL, but they are a strong side, as evidenced by their current third place standing in the Bundesliga.
Team News vs Bayer Leverkusen
Rodri is a strong doubt for this one, as he continues to battle a nagging hamstring injury. Its been touch-and-go a lot with him lately, and it goes without saying just how much he matters to the Cityzens.
The only other injury concern is Mateo Kovacic, who remains out with a serious ankle problem, and will remain sidelined for awhile.
Starting XI Prediction vs Bayer Leverkusen
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Rico Lewis, John Stones, Joskvo Gvardiol, Rayan Ait-Nouri; Nico Gonzalez; Savinho, 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.