- Josep Guardiola in awe of Monaco forwards: “In the box they are killers”
- City on nine-match unbeaten streak at home in UEFA Champions League (W6 D3)
- Monaco have won all six of their two-legged ties with English clubs
- Monaco are averaging three goals per game this season
- Get latest from Manchester in our match blog
Possible line-ups
Man. City: Caballero; Fernandinho, Otamendi, Stones, Kolarov; Silva, Touré, De Bruyne; Sterling, Agüero, Sané.
Out: Gabriel Jesus (foot), Kompany (leg)
Doubtful: Clichy (back)
Misses next match if booked: Sterling
Monaco: Subašić; Sidibé, Glik, Raggi, Mendy; Silva, Fabinho, Bakayoko, Lemar; Germain, Falcao.
Out: Jemerson (suspended), Boschilia (knee)
Misses next match if booked: Glik
Where to watch
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
Josep Guardiola, City manager
All of Europe is going to watch us, to analyse us, to kill us if we don’t win, to say how good we are when we win and that experience is beautiful to me.
I am really impressed [with Monaco]. They are physically strong, the full-backs play like wingers, the wingers play like attacking midfielders and the strikers are fighters and in the box they are killers. They don’t need too many chances to score goals. A complete team – the most successful team in Europe in terms of scoring goals.
Leonardo Jardim, Monaco coach
We have changed a lot of players over the last three seasons and we’re back in the last 16 again. That’s great because it shows that despite all the changes we’re still able to play at the top level. We have only two or three players left from the team that took on Arsenal a couple of years ago.
This is our 11th game, taking into account qualifying matches, and we always try to play the same way. These two teams love to play football and have technical players. The two coaching staffs work well. But in other respects we cannot compare, such as in the respective transfer budgets.
Weekend results
Huddersfield 0-0 City
City face a replay in the FA Cup’s last 16 after being held at second-tier Huddersfield. Guardiola made eight changes from Monday’s Premier League trip to Bournemouth, including the enforced absence of injured Gabriel Jesus, meaning a return to the starting line-up for Sergio Agüero, as well as for Claudio Bravo in goal. However, there was no way past home keeper Joel Coleman. The winners travel to Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals.
Bastia 1-1 Monaco (Sadio Diallo 19; Bernardo Silva 52)
Bernardo Silva’s sixth top-flight goal of the season, a well-placed header from Almamy Touré’s cross, salvaged a point for Monaco on Friday. It was enough to keep the Ligue 1 pacesetters three points clear after second-placed Paris drew with Toulouse on Sunday evening.
Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)
City: DWWWWD
Monaco: DWWWWD
Reporter’s view: Simon Hart (@UEFAcomSimonH)
Unbeaten in six, City have tightened up defensively of late but this will be a real test. Guardiola seems to know that, judging by how much of his press conference he spent praising Monaco’s attacking qualities. City have benefited significantly from Yaya Touré’s return to a three-man midfield but will Guardiola opt for an extra defensive body in the middle of the pitch in Fernandinho, or play the Brazilian at full-back? Up front, it is a big night for Agüero, back in the team because of Gabriel Jesus’s injury. City may need to score at least twice to earn a lead to take to the principality.
Did you know?
This is Guardiola’s first duel with French opponents since playing in the Barcelona side that overcame Paris 1-0 in the 1997 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final. Read more in our extensive match background.
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