Wednesday night sees Manchester City traveling to France for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain. Pep Guardiola will be happy with how the squad is shaping up as we take a look at the team news. (For the City starting XI prediction go here)
Having secured their first trophy of the season with the Carabao Cup on Sunday, City will look to get closer to winning another one. However, it won’t be easy against the French powerhouse, who are packed with top tier talent all up and down the pitch.
Team News: Paris Saint-Germain Manchester City
Starting XI Predictions Paris Saint-Germain Manchester City
Pep will be happy with the state of his squad as there are no suspensions or injuries to worry about. John Stones is back after completing his domestic suspension. There is further good news with regards to Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero.
They were both part of the squad for the cup final which means they’ll be available here.
Getting past the French side is no easy feat as they have many players who are capable of turning the game on it’s head and they have a manager who knows how to get one overon Guardiola. When Mauricio Pochettino was the manager of Tottenham, the duo had many tactically intriguing battles.
We can expect another one here between two brilliant bosses who know how to set their team up in an optimal fashion.
City will want to have more of the ball as they look to overwhelm PSG. They must ensure that this doesn’t play into the their hands though as PSG can be devastating on the counterattack.
The trump card for the Manchester side lies in the fact that all three players that will be supporting the centre forward. The Cityzens will always have the ability to create chances with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez.
If they can convert them early, it will take the game and the tie away from the Parisians.
Manchester City have a chance to reach the Champions League final for the first time ever, but they have a huge challenge waiting for them. They must ensure that they are clinical in front of goal or they will end up paying the price.
Confidence will be high among Guardiola’s men after the league cup win, and they will want to put their best foot forward here, in hopes of achieving a treble.