The UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Red Star Belgrade will take place at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday at 12:30 am IST.
Manchester City, the reigning Champions League champions, kick off their quest to retain their title as they host Red Star Belgrade at the Etihad Stadium this coming Tuesday. Pep Guardiola’s team kept their flawless record in the league intact with a 3-1 victory over West Ham United last Saturday. In contrast, Red Star suffered a 2-1 defeat to Cukaricki in the Serbian SuperLiga.
A few months after securing their European supremacy by defeating Inter Milan, Manchester City are eager to begin their Champions League title defense with a strong performance. Under Pep Guardiola’s leadership, City has predictably started the 2023-24 season in fine form, winning all five of their Premier League matches, including a recent comeback victory against West Ham at the London Stadium. In that match, City fell behind before halftime but managed to turn the game around, thanks to goals from Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland. Haaland, last season’s top scorer, struggled to find the net for most of the game but finally scored in the 86th minute. Despite not scoring in last year’s semi-finals and final, Haaland’s 12 goals made him the leading scorer in their path to continental glory. Guardiola is counting on the prolific striker to lead the charge against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday.
In contrast to Manchester City’s stable form, Red Star Belgrade has experienced recent struggles, suffering two losses in their last three domestic matches after initially making an impressive start to the season. At the beginning of their campaign, the Serbian champions secured four consecutive wins, but their vulnerability has become apparent with two defeats in their most recent three outings. One of their major issues has been their inability to keep clean sheets, with their defense conceding six goals in the last three matches. In contrast, Red Star managed to keep three clean sheets in their first four league fixtures, allowing just one goal in a dominant 4-1 victory over Mladost in August. As they prepare to face Manchester City on Tuesday, Red Star enters the matchup as clear underdogs. Avoiding a heavy defeat in Manchester would be nothing short of a miracle for them.
Manchester City probable starting lineup: Ederson, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Rodri, Silva, Foden, Alvarez, Doku, Haaland
Red Star Belgrade probable starting lineup: Glazer, Mijailovic, Dragovic, Rodic, Bukari, Krasso, Stamenic, Kangwa, Mitrovic, Lucic, Olayinka
Manchester City
| Opponents | Score |
|---|---|
| West Ham | 3-1 (W) |
| Fulham | 5-1 (W) |
| Sheffield United | 2-1 (W) |
| Newcastle | 1-0 (W) |
| Sevilla | 2-1 (W) |
Red Star Belgrade
| Opponents | Score |
|---|---|
| Cukaricki | 1-2 (L) |
| Novi Pazar | 2-1 (W) |
| Vozdovac | 2-3 (L) |
| Sp. Subotica | 3-0 (W) |
| Mladost | 4-1 (W) |
The upcoming encounter between these two clubs is going to be their first head to head match.
The UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Red Star Belgrade will take place at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday at 12:30 am IST.
| Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Date | September 20 |
| Venue | Etihad Stadium |
| Kickoff time in United Kingdom | 8:00 pm (Tuesday) |
| Kickoff time in Serbia | 9:00 pm (Tuesday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 12:30 am (Wednesday) |
Football fans in United Kingdom can catch the live action via TNT Sports 2, BBC Radio 5 Live, TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+ App, discovery+ while those in Serbia can watch the match live via RTS 1, Arena Sport 1P.
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