23 November 2021, 09:13 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
The most anticipated fixture of UCL Matchday 5, Manchester City vs. Paris Saint-Germain, kicks off at 21:00 (GMT+1) on Wednesday, November 24, at the City of Manchester Stadium. The Cityzens picked up a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the nine-time French champions in the reverse fixture on UCL MD2 and are in the run for a win to secure a place in the last-16. An Italian crew, headed by Daniele Orsato (ITA), will be saddled with the responsibility of officiating this fixture, while Marco Di Bello (ITA) will take his place in the VAR room.
Preview Manchester City Champions League, Nov 24, 2021
Preview Manchester City picked Everton apart in a 3-0 win on Sunday in the Premier League. Goals from Raheem Sterling (44’), Rodri (55’), and Bernardo Silva (86’) settled the one-sided duel of ninety minutes. City leads Group A by one point over second-placed PSG, having 9 points after 3W, 0D, and 1L. The club returns with three consecutive victories in five games: DLWWW. The English side remains within touching distance of a last-16 berth and a first-place finish. A win over PSG on Wednesday would see them achieve that feat. This is Manchester City’s 11th UEFA Champions League campaign, with consecutive participation in the UCL group stage since the 2011/12 UCL season. The sky-blue-wearing side has reached the round of 16 in eight successive campaigns. On Wednesday, Pep will look to stretch the impressive numbers when he deploys the efficient 4—3—3 formation which has remained dominant for a major portion of the season. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and Mahrez formed the attacking trio in City’s 5-1 win over Club Brugge on UCL MD4. However, with Grealish’s availability uncertain, a few changes are expected in the attacking end. Ferrán Torres remains sidelined until January 2022, while Kevin De Bruyne (COVID 19) is also ruled out.
Preview Paris Saint Germain Champions League, Nov 24, 2021
Preview Following the 3-1 win over Nantes in Ligue 1 at the weekend, PSG remains unbeaten in five games across all competitions: DWDWW. The club has 8 points after four UCL games: 2W, 2D, and 0L. Pochettino is being linked to the vacant managerial position at Manchester United but will be focusing on the task at hand come Wednesday. Messi bagged his first Ligue 1 goal for the club over the weekend in PSG’s win over the Yellow House and aims to break hearts for a second time, having bagged the second goal in PSG’s 2-0 win over Pep’s side in the reverse fixture. The Argentine is expected to form part of the attacking trio alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in Pochettino’s 4—3—3 formation. Mbappe would mark his 50th UEFA Champions League appearance if he features on Wednesday. Kaylor Navas picked up a red against Nantes but is expected back in goal for this game with Gianluigi Donnarumma (gastrointestinal) in doubt. Sergio Ramos is yet to feature for the club, while Julian Draxler is expected back next month.