Manchester City vs. AEK Athens - prediction, team news, lineups

A week aft suffering a 4-2 beatdown by European champions Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City invited AEK Athens to the Etihad Stadium connected Tuesday, looking to instrumentality to winning ways successful the Champions League.

Enzo Maresca's men did unafraid maximum points successful the league astatine the play to support their unblemished grounds successful the competition, but their wide performances stay mixed up of the Greek side's visit.

Match preview

Man City returned to the Etihad connected Saturday, 3 days aft PSG had each but played them disconnected the parkland connected location soil, needing a beardown showing to flooded the promoted visitors.

Some mightiness reason that the 3-2 triumph near galore questions unanswered, contempt Erling Haaland scoring for the nine for an eighth successive crippled and creating much Premier League history.

The Norwegian, however, was 1 of 5 players who gave Maresca a fright during the match, leaving observers to wonderment however the Sky Blues would grip the upcoming play of 3 fixtures successful astir 3 weeks earlier the adjacent planetary break.

The unrelenting schedule, though, remains the slightest of Man City's concerns, arsenic the Cityzens are inactive uncertain astir however their pending entreaty implicit fiscal irregularities volition unfold.

Nonetheless, Maresca's men volition stay nonrecreational and clasp an us-against-the-world mentality arsenic they question to widen their four-match unbeaten tally against Greek sides successful the Champions League.

Those fixtures person seen City assertion 3 victories and 1 draw, each without conceding, highlighting their humanities superiority successful specified contests contempt the tiny illustration size.

Marko Nikolic's men had avoided decision wrong 90 minutes since the commencement of their play until coming unstuck against Shakhtar Donetsk astatine Stamford Bridge past week, wherever the Ukrainian nine are playing their location European matches this term.

The 3-1 decision besides marked the archetypal clip that Enosi had conceded that galore goals successful a competitory lucifer since April, erstwhile they suffered a 3-0 distant nonaccomplishment to Rayo Vallecano.

Moving connected from that decision volition beryllium easier said than done, fixed the calibre of their matchday-three opponents and the respective positions of the teams successful the embryonic table.

It does small to assistance AEK that the Yellow-Blacks person struggled against English opposition, losing 7 of their past 8 Champions League encounters with specified teams and winning lone once.

That solitary triumph is improbable to go two, peculiarly arsenic Enosi person ne'er won distant from location successful the Champions League proper, drafting 5 and losing 11 up of their adjacent continental trip.

Manchester City Champions League form:

Manchester City signifier (all competitions):

AEK Athens Champions League form:

AEK Athens signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Although Maresca indicated that each was good with Haaland aft the Ipswich victory, the Norwegian is expected to beryllium rested connected Tuesday owed to City's upcoming schedule.

Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes were besides withdrawn with evident injuries against the Tractor Boys, though neither subordinate has been definitively ruled out.

However, the Cityzens are sweating implicit the fittingness of Antoine Semenyo owed to a genu issue, portion Nico O'Reilly is expected to miss retired with a backmost injury.

After starting astatine the play pursuing a beardown second-half showing against PSG, Ayoub Bouaddi should diagnostic from the disconnected successful cardinal midfield, meaning that Enzo Fernandez could inhabit a No. 10 relation portion Phil Foden operates arsenic a makeshift No. 9.

AEK person had a week to remainder and recuperate for their trial against the Sky Blues, with Luka Jovic and Barnabas Varga serving arsenic Enosi's starring attacking threats.

Both men person scored 4 league goals apiece, with Zini contributing 2 strikes, though nary of the 3 players person opened their accounts successful the contention proper.

Nevertheless, the starring duo were pivotal successful AEK reaching the league phase, with Jovic opening the scoring successful the 2nd limb of the playoff circular and Varga netting a brace successful the 4-0 triumph implicit Levski Sofia.

Manchester City imaginable starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Bouaddi, Anderson; Cherki, Fernandez, Ndiaye; Foden

AEK Athens imaginable starting lineup:

Brignoli; Rota, Moukoudi, Relvas, Pilo; Majer, Kairinen, Marin, Vitalis; Varga, Jovic

We say: Manchester City 3-1 AEK Athens

AEK's rested legs and established onslaught concern could exposure a City defence that conceded 4 goals against PSG earlier allowing promoted Ipswich to people doubly astatine the weekend.

Nevertheless, the Yellow-Blacks' miserable distant grounds successful the Champions League due suggests that Maresca's rotated broadside volition instrumentality to winning ways with country to spare.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.