Swiss international Akanji, who joined us last week from Borussia Dortmund, will partner Ruben Dias in the heart of defence with fellow summer signing Gomez set to be deployed at left back.
Jack Grealish also comes into the starting line up from the side that drew 1-1 at Aston Villa on Saturday.
Ilkay Gundogan reverts to the bench.
John Stones and Kyle Walker also miss out through muscular injuries with the England defensive duo not being part of City’s travelling squad which flew out to Spain on Tuesday.
Teams
SEVILLA: Bono, Jesús Navas, Carmona, Nianzou, Acuña, Gudelj, Delaney, Rakitic, Papu Gómez, Telles, Isco
Subs: Dmitrovic, Montiel, Rekik, Dolberg, Suso, Jordan, Januzaj, Rafa Mir, En-Nesri, Fernando, Kike Salas, Alberto F
CITY XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Akanji, Gomez, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (c), Bernardo, Foden, Haaland, Grealish
Subs: Ortega, Carson, Phillips, Ake, Gundogan, Alvarez, Mahrez, Palmer, Lewis, Wilson-Esbrand
Tactics
It again looks likely that City will adopt our trademark 4-3-3 formation for tonight’s opening Champions League group assignment in southern Spain.
With Ederson a familiar figure in goal, Joao Cancelo reverts to right back with Ruben Dias and Akanji alongside him with Gomez handed a first start at left back.
Rodrigo will again be the defensive midfield bulwark with Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo also alongside the Spaniard in the all-important engine room.
Meanwhile, our attacking trident will consist of Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish with Haaland the central focal point.
European thoroughbreds
City have established a formidable record in European football with the Club reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League in each of the last nine campaigns.
And such has been our quality and consistency under Pep Guardiola that we have finished first in our UEFA Champions’ League group in each of the last five seasons.
Our best performance to came in 2019/20 when we reached our maiden Champions League final only to be edged out 1-0 by Chelsea in Porto.
Last term, City again produced a series of outstanding displays in Europe. Pep Guardiola’s side finished first in Group A on 12 points, one ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, having won four of our six games.
We then beat Sporting CP (5-0 a, 0-0 h) and Atlético de Madrid (1-0 h, 0-0 a) before suffering a heart-breaking loss to eventual champions Real Madrid in the semi-finals, losing 6-5 on aggregate.
Match stats
Pep Guardiola‘s team have won 14 of our last 23 away European matches (D4 L5).
The 2015 win in Seville is one of only three City victories in their 13 visits to Spain (D2 L8). Overall, our record against Spanish clubs is W10 D5 L10, with victories in five of our last seven matches.
Summer signing Erling Haaland scored four of Dortmund’s five goals against Sevilla in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League, including two in the German club’s 3-2 first-leg win at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán; he was also on target twice in a 2-2 draw in Germany.
Jesús Navas joined City from Sevilla in 2013, making 123 Premier League appearances for the club, scoring four times and winning the league title in 2013/14 and two English League Cups. He re-joined his boyhood club in 2017.
Fernando joined Manchester City from Porto in 2014, playing 64 times in the Premier League and scoring four goals, before signing for Galatasaray in 2017. He then joined Sevilla from the Turkish side two years later.
