1 First Pirelli visit for Blues
The Pirelli Stadium holds 6,912 people with nearly 5,000 of that number accommodating standing supporters.
In many ways, it will be similar to playing at the Academy Stadium and a completely different experience for many of the senior City players.
The Brewers have won half of their 14 League One games, drawing two and losing five times and their home form will be key to steering clear of the relegation zone.
The current record attendance is 6,746 set against Derby County in 2016 and tomorrow’s gate could come close to that figure.
READ: Burton v City: Injury latest
READ: 102 goals and counting - the stats and figures behind a century of goals
2 Burton look to restore some pride
There’s no doubt Burton Albion’s trip to the Etihad was a painful experience.
Educational, yes, but playing a side that attacked incessantly and were completely ruthless can’t have been pleasant.
The second leg represents the opportunity to restore some pride and Nigel Clough won’t want another thrashing, especially on their own soil.
It’s the semi-final of the Carabao Cup and a fantastic achievement for the Brewers so while nobody expects them to overturn the first leg deficit, a solid, committed and disciplined display from the hosts is the least Clough will demand of his players.
3 Young City XI to play?
It’s likely there will be a number of Academy graduates involved in this game.
But there will also be a smattering of experienced players, too, with Pep Guardiola confirming Kevin De Bruyne will continue to build his match sharpness against the Brewers.
We won’t know the squad until an hour before kick-off, but it seems likely Phil Foden and Eric Garcia will start - Philippe Sandler will also hope to feature while Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabian Delph could also play.
Whoever starts, the same high standards will be expected from the Catalan boss who will certainly not be taking a relaxed attitude towards this game.
4 Clean sheet carrot
City’s defensive record was under scrutiny throughout December with a lack of clean sheets a cause for concern.
But since Roberto Firmino’s equalising goal at the Etihad on 3 January, the Blues have not conceded a single goal.
That’s a minimum of 386 minutes since we last shipped a goal – or six hours and 26 minutes – suggesting the champions have tightened a few bolts at the back during the past month.
That’s not a record the City defenders will give up easily and will fight hard to preserve against the Brewers.
Follow all the action on our Matchday Centre from 6pm this evening...
