Simpson-Pusey handed over first senior start for trip to Sporting CP

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey will make his first senior start as City make three changes for Tuesday’s return to Champions League action away at Sporting CP.

The teenage centre-back – who celebrated his 19th birthday yesterday – made his competitive first-team debut as a substitute in last week’s Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Spurs.

Simpson-Pusey comes into the starting XI in Lisbon along with Rico Lewis and Savinho from the side that started last Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League loss away to Bournemouth.

Kyle WalkerNathan Ake and Ilkay Gundogan everyone returns to the bench.

John Stone, Ruben Dias and Jack Grealish were all ruled out of the trip to Portugal due to injury.

Meanwhile Rodrigo and Oscar Bob also remain on the sidelines as they continue their recovery and rehabilitation from long-term injuries

Team

Sporty CP: To follow

Subs: To follow

TOWN: EdersonLewis, Simpson-Pusey, Akanji, Guardiol, Kovacic, Bernardo (C), SavinhoFoden, Nunes, Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Walker, Akedocumentary, De Bruyne, GundoganWright, O’Reilly, McAtee, Wilson-Esbrand

CLOCK: Guardiola: Don’t expect another five-goal win!

Tactics

Ederson will be the familiar figure in goal with the Brazil international protected by a back four of Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, Manuel Akanji and Josko Guardiol.

Mateo Kovacic is set to be the midfield shield with captain Bernardo Silva also operates in the engine room.

Erling Haaland will provide the central striking focal point Phil Foden, Matheus Nunes and Savinho also set to be deployed further forward.

But as always, the tactical agility and flexibility is within Pep Guardiolas team that our formation can develop as the evening progresses.

Play it again

City are no strangers to Sporting and their atmospheric Estádio José Alvalade venue.

We were last here back in February 2022 for a Champions League Round of 16 assignment where we went on to achieve a fantastic 5-0 win.

Bernardo Silva was among the goalscorers that night, claiming a brilliant run of goals.

Speaking at Monday night’s pre-match press conference, the Portugal international spoke of his fond memories of that occasion – and the desire to try and help City record another positive result.

Manchester is calling

Tonight’s game will mark the last home game in charge of outgoing Sporting boss Ruben Amorin, who will leave the club next week after four years to take charge at Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Sporting director of football Hugo Viana heads to Manchester next summer after six highly successful years in the post to succeed Txiki Begiristain as City’s new director of football.

Back in business?

Tonight’s game is the third of four consecutive away games for City in what has been a demanding fixture.

We will also be stepping out on the back of two frustrating 2-1 away defeats, last Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth round exit followed by a narrow defeat away to Bournemouth in last Saturday’s return to the Premier League.

However, one of the many qualities that have emphasized City across the board Pep Guardiolas storied reign has been our ability to bounce back emphatically in the wake of setbacks.

And with City currently third in the Champions League table, a return to winning ways in the Portuguese capital would further boost our hopes of securing a top eight finish and thus a guaranteed place in the knockout stages.

CLOCK: Bernardo: My mom is a sports fan!

Statistics and facts

Sporting CP won their first European meeting with City in March 2012 in the UEFA Europa League, but are winless in their last three against them (D1 L2).

City have lost just one of our 10 major European games against Portuguese opposition (W6 D3), although that was against Sporting in March 2012. In those 10 games, City have kept six clean sheets, including one in each of our last three.

City have lost just one of our previous five away trips to face Portuguese opposition in European competition (W2 D2), and are unbeaten there in UEFA Champions League matches: 0-0 against FC Porto in December 2020 and 5-0 against Sporting CP in February 2022.

After losing each of their first five matches against English sides in the UEFA Champions League, Sporting CP have gone unbeaten in each of their last three (W1 D2). In fact, they won their last home game in the competition against English opposition, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 in September 2022.

Sporting CP are unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League this season, winning twice and drawing once. If they can avoid defeat here, they will equal their longest unbeaten run in the European Cup/Champions League (four matches between September 1982-March 1983).

Viktor Gyökeres has been directly involved in 10 goals in 12 games for Sporting CP in European competition (seven goals, three assists), while scoring in all four of his European starts at the Estádio José Alvalade (four goals).

The city’s Erling Haaland has been directly involved in 49 goals in 42 UEFA Champions League appearances (44 goals, five assists). If he scores or assists here, the Norwegian will become the fastest player to 50 combined goals and assists in the competition’s history (43), overtaking Ruud van Nistelrooy for the fewest appearances to do so (45).

17-year-old Geovany Quenda has featured in all three of Sporting CP’s matches in the UEFA Champions League this season. The only Portuguese player to make multiple appearances while under-18s in a single season in the competition is Rúben Neves, who played five times for FC Porto in 2014–15 (also aged 17).

The city’s Rico Lewis is the player with the highest xG sequence involvement from open play in the UEFA Champions League this season (5.2), with the player second on the list being a teammate Erling Haaland (4.35).