Manchester City will resume their latest attempt to finally win the Champions League when they travel to face RB Leipzig this week.
The Citizens are featuring in the knockout stages of Europe’s elite competition for a tenth straight year but are yet to get their hands on the trophy.
The two sides met in the Champions League group stage last season, with City stretching their 16-game unbeaten run against German opposition with a thrilling 6-3 win at the Etihad.
But Leipzig pulled off a stunning 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture at home and will relish the opportunity to cause another upset.
RB Leipzig vs Man City: talkSPORT coverage
This Champions League round of 16 clash is set to take place on Wednesday, February 22.
Kick-off at the Red Bull Arena gets underway at 8pm in the UK.
talkSPORT will have live coverage of this match, with Adrian Durham your host and commentary from Jim Proudfoot and former England defender Stuart Pearce.
talkSPORT.com will also have a live blog keeping you up to date with all the action.
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RB Leipzig vs Man City: Team news
The hosts have several long-term absentees, with Peter Gulacsi, Dani Olmo and Abdou Diallo all remaining in the treatment room.
But future Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku has returned to fitness to partner former Blues forward Timo Werner in attack.
City are still waiting for John Stones to bounce back from a hamstring issue but otherwise have a clean bill of health to contend with.
Riyad Mahrez was rested for the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest last time out and will start here, with Phil Foden likely to drop to the bench.
RB Leipzig vs Man City: What has been said?
Man City goalkeeper Ederson said: “From 13 or 14 years old, I started watching European football more. Then, between 15 and 16, I went to Portugal, so the dream was closer to me.
“After that, my objective was always that: to play in the Champions League, to play at a big club and to win competitions, to challenge for a World Cup.
“So, I’ve always worked with objectives. ‘I will play in the Champions League; I will play in the Premier League; I will play in the World Cup.’
“I always put it as an objective, because I already achieved my dream of becoming a professional footballer – I achieved that.
“From that moment, I started to set goals in my career and, thank God, I’ve managed to hit these goals.
“One of the goals I have set for myself is to win the Champions League. That’s what’s missing and I want to be able to achieve this objective.
“I’m willing to always work hard, I always give it my all.
“So, this year, I want to achieve my objective, by any means necessary.”
RB Leipzig vs Man City: Match facts
- Since the start of last season, only Kingsley Coman (18) has created more chances following a carry than Manchester City’s Jack Grealish (15) in the UEFA Champions League. Indeed, in this same period, Grealish has averaged more chances created from open play per 90 than any other Man City player (2.5).
- In the group stages of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League, only Vinícius Júnior (8.4) had a higher xG sequence involvement (from open play) total than RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku (7.5).
- Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has scored six goals in four previous appearances against RB Leipzig, scoring three separate braces against them while playing for previous club Borussia Dortmund. Indeed, Haaland has averaged a goal every 60 minutes across his four appearances versus RB Leipzig.
- Christopher Nkunku – who has scored in his last two UEFA Champions League games for RB Leipzig – could become the first player in the club’s history to score in three consecutive appearances in the competition. In Leipzig’s 3-6 loss at Manchester City in September 2021, he scored his only hat-trick in the competition to date – becoming just the second player in UCL history to score one against the Citizens, after Lionel Messi (in October 2016 with Barcelona).
- RB Leipzig have won each of their last four matches in the UEFA Champions League, their longest ever winning run in the competition. Indeed, only Julian Nagelsmann in 2019-20 – when they reached the semi-final – has won more matches in a single UEFA Champions League campaign (6) in charge of RB Leipzig than Marco Rose this term (4).
- Among managers to have taken charge of 50+ games in the UEFA Champions League, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has the highest win percentage in the competition’s history (63% – 97 wins from 154 games).
- After winning their first three matches in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, RB Leipzig have lost each of their last three without scoring a goal – 0-3 v Paris Saint-Germain in the 2019-20 semi-final and two 0-2 defeats v Liverpool in the last 16 in 2020-21.
- Manchester City have only lost one of their previous 17 matches against German sides in the UEFA Champions League (W14 D2), with the Citizens scoring an average of 2.6 goals per game across these fixtures. Their only defeat came away to RB Leipzig in last season’s group stage (1-2), with Pep Guardiola’s side already qualified for the knockout stages going into that fixture.
- This is the third time that RB Leipzig have been drawn against English opposition in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. After winning both games versus Spurs in 2019-20, the German side were beaten in both legs by Liverpool in the 2020-21 campaign.
- The two previous meetings between RB Leipzig and Manchester City came in the UEFA Champions League last season, with a total of 12 goals being scored across the two matches (Man City 6-3 RB Leipzig and RB Leipzig 2-1 Man City).
Source: talksport.com
