Jesus, who has been absent for six weeks, couldn’t have timed his return better, with the weekend clash against Liverpool on the horizon.
Regarding the starting XI, Oleks Zinchenko, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden come in for Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo, and Rodrigo.
If things go according to plan, expect Kevin De Bruyne and possibly Raheem Sterling to play for an hour or so before being rested.
Teams
City: Ederson, Walker, Zinchenko, Stones, Ake, Gundogan, De Bruyne (c), Foden, Mahrez, Sterling, Torres
Subs: Steffen, Trafford, Dias, Jesus, Laporte, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Cancelo, Garcia, Nmecha, Bernabe
Olympiakos: Malheiro de Sá, Ferreira de Souza, Borges Semedo, Cissé, Holebas, Camara, M’Vila, Bouchalakis, Randjelovic, El-Arabi, Valbuena
Three the magic number?
A win this evening would put City on nine points from three games played.
It obviously wouldn’t secure qualification, but it will leave Pep Guardiola’s side on the verge of a place in the Round of 16.
The aim is to qualify in the shortest possible time, with the possibility of having two remaining group games still to play.
That relieves pressure on playing key players at one of the busiest periods of the season and therefore lessen the risk of injury or fatigue.
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Possible formation and tactics: 4-3-3
City change 75% of the back four that started against the Blades, with Stones and Ake forming a new partnership in central defence.
Gundogan will take on the defensive anchor role, with De Bruyne and Foden the attacking thrust of the midfield.
The front three remain unchanged from Saturday’s win in Sheffield.
Seasoned campaigners
With 33 Champions League campaigns behind them, Olympiakos have plenty of experience in this competition.
But they have only once reached the quarter-final stage and don’t travel well in Europe and particularly in this country.
Olympiakos have failed to win 14 of their 16 Champions League ties on English soil – and until they cure their travel sickness, they will continue to struggle to get to the latter stages of the Champions League.
But domestically, they are used to winning, with 45 Super League 1 titles to their name so far.
They have plenty of quality in their squad and are likely to come to the Etihad to play football, rather than employ 10 men behind the ball as we so often on our home patch.
If so, it should make for an entertaining game with, hopefully, plenty of goals.
Stats and facts
This is the first game between the clubs, and only City’s third against a Greek team – although Olympiakos have plenty of experience against English opposition.
City have scored 41 goals in our last 15 UEFA Champions League matches; over the last two seasons our record is W15 D3 L3 with 57 goals scored and 22 conceded.
City are unbeaten in nine home European matches (W8 D1) since a 2-1 loss against Lyon on Matchday 1 in 2018/19.
City’s only previous games against a Greek club came in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League round of 32, when a 0-0 first-leg draw at Aris Thessaloniki was followed by a 3-0 home win.
Pep Guardiola was Rafinha’s coach at Bayern from 2013 to 2016.
Olympiakos are in the group stage for the 20th time and have qualified for the European Cup a further 13 times.
Having lost on each of their first 12 visits to England, conceding 37 goals and scoring only three, Olympiakos have recorded two wins in their last five trips (D1 L2), the victories both coming at Arsenal.
Champions of Greece for the 45th time in 2019/20 – their first title since 2017 – Olympiakos also lifted the Greek Cup for the 28th time to complete their 18th domestic double.
Olympiakos have lost their last eight away games in the UEFA Champions League group stage, since a 1-0 success at Dinamo Zagreb in October 2015; that is one of only two wins in their last 15 such fixtures (D1 L12).
