Simpson-Pusey handed Sporting CP its first senior start for the trip

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey gets his first senior start as City make three changes for their Champions League return to action at Sporting CP on Tuesday.

The teenage centre-back, who celebrated his 19th birthday yesterday, made his first-team appearance as a substitute in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup against Spurs last week.

Simpson-Pusey joins Rico Lewis and Savinho in the starting XI in Lisbon from the team that started last Saturday's 2-1 Premier League defeat at Bournemouth.

Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake and Ilkay Gündogan all return to the bench.

John Stones, Ruben Dias and Jack Grealish were unable to take part in the trip to Portugal due to injury.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo and Oscar Bobb also remain sidelined as they continue their recovery and rehabilitation from long-term injuries

teams

Sporty CP: To follow

Subs: To follow

CITY: Ederson, Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, Akanji, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Bernardo (center), Savinho, Foden, Nunes, Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Walker, Ake, Doku, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Wright, O'Reilly, McAtee, Wilson-Esbrand

REGARD: 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 Gvardiol.

Mateo Kovacic is supposed to protect the midfield, captain Bernardo Silva also acts in the engine room.

Erling Haaland will form the central point of attack, with Phil Foden, Matheus Nunes and Savinho also deployed further forward.

However, as always, the tactical agility and flexibility in Pep Guardiola's squad is so great that our formation could develop further over the course of the evening.

Play it again

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

The last time we were here was in February 2022 when we played in the Champions League round of 16 first leg and recorded an impressive 5-0 win.

Bernardo Silva was among the top scorers on the night, scoring two brilliant goals.

At Monday night's pre-match press conference, the Portugal international spoke about his fond memories of the event – and his desire to help City achieve another positive result.

Manchester is calling

Tonight's game will be the last home game for outgoing Sporting coach Ruben Amorin, who will leave the club next week after four years to take charge of Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Sporting's director of football Hugo Viana will head to Manchester next summer to succeed Txiki Begiristain as City's new director of football after six hugely successful years.

Back in business?

Today's game is the third of four consecutive away games for City in a demanding series of fixtures.

We will also suffer two frustrating 2-1 away defeats. Last Wednesday's fourth round exit from the Carabao Cup was followed by a narrow away defeat at Bournemouth on their return to the Premier League last Saturday.

However, one of the many qualities that City have highlighted during Pep Guardiola's long tenure has been our ability to bounce back with vigor after setbacks.

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

REGARD: Bernardo: My mother is a Sporting fan!

Statistics and facts

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

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

City have lost just one of our last five away games against Portuguese opponents in European competition (W2 D2) and are unbeaten in UEFA Champions League games there: 0-0 against FC Porto in December 2020 and 5-0 against Sporting CP in Year February 2022.

After losing each of their first five games against English teams in the UEFA Champions League, Sporting CP have remained unbeaten in their last three games (W1 D2). In fact, they won their last home game in the competition against English opponents, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in September 2022.

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

Viktor Gyökeres was directly involved in 10 goals in 12 appearances for Sporting CP in European competitions (seven goals, three assists) and scored in all four of his European starts at the Estádio José Alvalade (four goals).

City's Erling Haaland was directly involved in 49 goals in 42 appearances in the UEFA Champions League (44 goals, five assists). If he scores or assists here, the Norwegian will become the fastest player to total 50 goals and assists in the competition's history (43), overtaking Ruud van Nistelrooy with the fewest appearances (45).

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

City's Rico Lewis is the player with the highest xG sequence participation in open play in the UEFA Champions League this season (5.2), the player second on the list is teammate Erling Haaland (4.35).