The game at Etihad Stadium will be special for Pep Guardiola’s boys, as it will mark their first game in the competition since they won it last June in Istanbul.
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Manchester City will kick-start their defence of the Champions League crown against Red Star Belgrade. The game at Etihad Stadium will be special for Pep Guardiola’s boys, as it will mark their first game in the competition since they won it last June in Istanbul against Inter Milan. It was a tough test for City against Inter, as they had to ride their luck at times to get over the line. In the end, Guardiola helped Man City win the trophy which has eluded the club for so long.
However, Manchester City have to deal with a few injured players for this Champions League clash against Red Star Belgrade. City, who are also the Premier League champions, will be without Mateo Kovacic, Jack Grealish and John Stones for this fixture. “I think they are getting better, they are not for tomorrow. Hopefully for Nottingham or next coming games because we need it because we have not a long squad in that moment. But it’s what it is,” Guardiola, quoted by the club’s website, said.
“Look how we prove without them in the last games. Hopefully they’ll be back soon because we need the competition. We need, you know, Jack to compete with Jeremy Doku and how important it is both feeling [they have] to play good to maintain and be in the squad. Otherwise it is difficult to sustain for a long time. That’s what it is and many things happen and yes we accept it.”
The manager then shifted his focus to the club’s first-choice goalkeeper Ederson, who enters his seventh season at the club. “He’s matured and he’s getting even better. We are a team that doesn’t concede too much and I have the feeling that when the opponents arrive he is there. The first save in the one-on-one against [Michail] Antonio, the moments he makes the last touch a little bit longer he was there,” he explained.
He added: “Especially the corner, with [James] Ward-Prowse he is an incredible threat, and Zouma with the tall incredible headers but he made a good save and at that moment it was 1-1. We had 16/17 shots in the first half against West Ham which is quite impressive, but these details make the difference and Ederson was there again.”
Ederson was a key member of Man City winning the Champions League crown last season. He was a reliable player in between the sticks and also played a huge role in the club beating Inter Milan in the final. “I have a lot of memories in this competition – when Ederson saves and the opposition makes saves. There are many, many things but of course Eddie was a key point, a really key point,” he explained.
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