Ederson, Rico Lewis, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes and Jack Grealish all come in after missing out for Saturday’s Premier League victory over Brighton.
Stefan Ortega Moreno, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez move to the bench.
BSC Young Boys v City | Match preview
Guardiola’s side are looking to extend our perfect run in Group G and make it three wins from three.
Victory tonight would leave the European champions on the cusp of qualification through the group stage for the tenth consecutive season.
Teams
CITY XI: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias (C), Ake, Rodrigo, Kovacic, Nunes, Grealish, Doku, Haaland
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Walker, Phillips, Stones, Alvarez, Bernardo, Gomez, Gvardiol, Foden, Bobb, Hamilton
YOUNG BOYS XI: Racioppi, Ugrinic, Itten, Camara (C), Elia, Niasse, Garcia, Benito, Blum, Lauper, Monteiro
Subs: Von Ballmoos, Marzino, Amenda, Lakomy, Colley, Chaiwa, Janko, Nsame, Persson, Lustenberger, Ganvoula, Males
Tactics
Ederson will be protected by a defence of Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, captain Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake. As usual, Lewis will likely move into midfield to join Rodrigo in the centre of the pitch.
Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic will be alongside Rodrigo starting in the middle - all three are likely to join the attacks at different points.
Wingers Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish will flank central striker Erling Haaland.
Hamilton hoping for debut
Youngster Micah Hamilton is on the bench for the second time this season after joining the first team for the Carabao Cup trip to Newcastle last month.
Born and brought up in Manchester, the skilful attacking midfielder has progressed through the Club’s age groups with great distinction since joining City as an Under-9.
Blessed with impressive versatility, Hamilton can operate either through the middle but also out wide where he has harnessed his blistering pace to hurt defences at all age groups.
Now he will be hoping to be the latest exciting talent from our Academy to graduate into the first team.
Match stats
- This is the first ever competitive meeting between Young Boys and Manchester City – the Swiss side won their most recent home against Premier League opposition, beating Man Utd 2-1 in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League.
- Manchester City’s only previous meeting with Swiss opposition came in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League – they won 4-0 away before losing 2-1 at home to Basel in the round of 16.
- Young Boys have played more games in the UEFA Champions League without ever keeping a clean sheet than any other team (14). The Swiss side have conceded 29 times across their 14 matches, at an average of 2.1 per outing.
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 15 matches in the UEFA Champions League (W10 D5), with only Manchester United ever having a longer run without defeat among English teams in European Cup/Champions League history (2 runs of 16, and a 25-game run between 2007 and 2009).
- If Manchester City avoid defeat in this match, Pep Guardiola will equal his longest unbeaten run as a manager in the UEFA Champions League (currently 15 unbeaten). He went 16 games without defeat in charge of Barcelona between 2011 and 2012, in a run which also included lifting the trophy (beat Manchester United in the 2011 final).
- Young Boys have averaged just 8.8 opposition passes per defensive action (PPDA) in the UEFA Champions League this season; the lowest of any team across the first two matchdays.
- Manchester City have had 55 shots in their two UEFA Champions League games this season, while only facing six opposition shots in return. Indeed, that was the biggest differential for any side across the opening two matchdays, while they also had the best xG difference in terms of chances created and conceded (+5.2 – 6.4 xG for and 1.2 xG against).
- Man City’s Julián Álvarez has been directly involved in four goals in two UEFA Champions League games this season (three goals, one assist); the most of any player in the first two matchdays. As well as being the joint top scorer in this period (3), no player created more chances than him (8) across the opening two rounds.
- Filip Ugrinic has been directly involved in a goal in both of Young Boys’ games in the UEFA Champions League this season (one goal, one assist), while no player has ever done so in three consecutive appearances for the Swiss side in the competition.
- Through the first two matchdays in the UEFA Champions League this season, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has the highest xG (1.95) of any player yet to score in the competition (12 shots, 0 goals). Indeed, his current run of five games without a goal in the Champions League is his longest to date.
