Man City predicted lineup vs Red Star - Champions League
- Man City have already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages
- The competition's holders are unbeaten in 18 European matches
- Pep Guardiola could be tempted to rotate for this dead rubber
Manchester City wrap up their Champions League group-stage campaign with a trip to Serbia to face Red Star on Wednesday night.
Watching the draw for the first phase of this season's competition, Red Star captain Aleksandar Dragovic was caught cursing under his breath as the Serbian champions were placed in the same group as RB Leipzig and City.
Pep Guardiola's side justified Dragovic's hesitancy with a dominant 3-1 win at the Etihad in September and could complete a perfect group-stage campaign with a sixth consecutive victory on Wednesday.
Here's the lineup that Guardiola may deploy to remind Dragovic exactly why he didn't want to be drawn alongside City.
Man City predicted lineup vs Red Star (4-3-3)
GK: Stefan Ortega - A thoroughly reliable stand-in for Ederson, Ortega started City's last Champions League game against RB Leipzig as well.
RB: Manuel Akanji - No City player has been subjected to more minutes than Kyle Walker this season. If the vice-captain can't be rested for this dead rubber, with Akanji an adequate replacement, he never will be.
CB: John Stones - Limited to the same number of appearances as Kalvin Phillips this season, Stones could be given some game time to build up his fitness on Wednesday.
CB: Nathan Ake - Tragically, Ake's first and so far only Champions League goal came moments before his father passed away in September 2021. "Maybe it was meant to be," Ake reflected, "watching me play always made him proud and happy."
LB: Josko Gvardiol - The man with the "beautiful surname" - according to a biased Guardiola - has been guilty of some ugly performances since his summer move.
CM: Rico Lewis - If only the 5'6 Lewis was "a little bit taller", Guardiola mused last month, he would be "considered one of the best players in the Premier League". At 19, there might still be time for a late growth spurt.
CM: Rodri - City's good-luck charm is now unbeaten in his last 44 appearances for the club across all competitions.
CM: Matheus Nunes - No stranger to hard graft. While working his way through Sporting CP's academy, Nunes would get up at 5am to work the morning shift at his local bakery before training.
RW: Oscar Bobb - The 20-year-old inverted winger has only started one game for City this season - a defeat in the League Cup to Newcastle United - but could benefit from a bout of rotation for this dead rubber.
ST: Phil Foden - Julian Alvarez may have teed up City's winner against Luton Town but the ball he took to the face in the buildup to that goal was a more accurate reflection of his struggles as the lone centre-forward. Foden has ample experience as a false nine for Guardiola.
LW: Jack Grealish - Utterly revelled in the to-and-fro with the Kenilworth Road crowd on Sunday. It remains to be seen whether Grealish will also enjoy the banter from the fans at Red Star's fearsome Marakana.
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