Rodri’s return, Nathan Ake dropped, Jack Grealish to start – Predicted XI: RB Leipzig vs Manchester City – UEFA Champions League Group Stage

Manchester City begin their second Champions League group stage of the new season when they travel to RB Leipzig this week.

The reigning European champions will be looking to get back to winning ways in Germany, as they head into the game against Marco Rose’s side on the back of back-to-back defeats to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup and Wolves in Premier League.

Defeat at Molineux was City’s first loss of the current Premier League season, with Julian Alvarez’s second-half equalizer making up for Ruben Dias’s own goal canceled out by the winner. determined Hwang Hee’s victory for Gary O’Neil’s team.

Manchester City, however, remain top of the English table, with just a single point, following Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in a match marred by serious VAR errors and controversy happened afterward.

City will be looking to pick up six points from a possible six when they travel to Saxony to face RB Leipzig this week, building on their opening day win over Serbian giants Crvena zvezda at the Etihad Stadium two weeks ago before.

Pep Guardiola has been boosted by the double return of Bernardo Silva and John Stones for the first training session this week after their respective injuries, and both players have arrived in Germany with a 22-man squad .

You can find the full 22-man travelling Manchester City squad below.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Pep Guardiola also confirmed that Manchester City’s travel arrangements had been disrupted by a high wind warning, meaning their flight to Germany was delayed about three hours

Kevin De Bruyne is of course still sidelined due to hamstring surgery, while Rodri returns to play for Manchester City with a three-match ban limited to domestic matches – as this suspension will ending with a trip to Arsenal on Sunday.

Ahead of RB Leipzig’s clash with Manchester City, as well as Josko Gvardiol’s first return to Red Bull Arena after leaving in the summer, here’s how we predict Pep Guardiola will play on Wednesday night! Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Pep Guardiola also confirmed that Manchester City’s travel arrangements had been disrupted by a high wind warning, meaning their flight to Germany was delayed about three hours.

Kevin De Bruyne is of course still sidelined due to hamstring surgery, while Rodri returns to play for Manchester City with a three-match ban limited to domestic matches – as this suspension will ending with a trip to Arsenal on Sunday.

Ahead of RB Leipzig’s clash with Manchester City, as well as Josko Gvardiol’s first return to Red Bull Arena after leaving in the summer, here’s how we predict Pep Guardiola will play on Wednesday night!

Predicted XI

Moving into the back line, Kyle Walker will likely take on the team’s right-back role at Red Bull Arena.

Ruben Dias is highly unlikely to be stripped of his starting place after scoring an unfortunate own goal at the weekend, and we expect the Portugal international to partner Manuel Akanji in the heart of the defence.

After Nathan Ake’s disastrous outing against Molineux on Saturday, but not related to the performance, Josko Gvardiol is expected to mark his return to Leipzig with a starting spot at defender left.

Rodri will be a welcome presence in the heart of Manchester City’s midfield as he is likely to return from a three-match domestic suspension for a start in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Spain international will likely be Matheus Nunes or Mateo Kovacic, but we think he will be the one to get the nod as Kovacic gets a bit of rest before the weekend’s Premier League match at Emirates Stadium.

Julian Alvarez is expected to return to senior midfield duties in Germany for Manchester City, operating just behind Pep Guardiola’s forward line that evening.

Phil Foden could take on the right-winger role for Manchester City as Pep Guardiola may choose to preserve Bernardo Silva in the early stages of his recovery to be fully fit.

Erling Haaland will start at striker.

On the left, Jack Grealish could be used to maintain possession and alleviate an otherwise fierce atmosphere in Germany.

Starting XI: Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Nunes, Alvarez; Foden, Haaland, Grealish.

Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Lewis, Stones, Ake, Gomez, Phillips, Kovacic, Bernardo, Doku, Bobb.