Author: Mudeet Arora

Manchester United take on Newcastle United in the final of this season’s Carabao Cup on Sunday as both teams aim to lift their first silverware after a long gap in their own respective clubs’ histories.

Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils come into this game after knocking Barcelona out of the Europa League this week, while Eddie Howe is aiming to become the first man since Doug Livingstone in 1955 to win a major trophy for the Magpies.

Here’s BestofBets‘ preview of this mammoth clash!

Match details:

Stadium: Wembley Stadium, London

Date: Sunday 26 February

Kick-off Time: 16:30 GMT / 11:30 ET / 08:30 PT

Referee: David Coote VAR: Peter Bankes

Head to Head in the last 5 games:

Manchester United – 3 wins
Newcastle – 0 wins
Draws – 2

Current form in the last 5 games:

Manchester United – DWDWW
Newcastle – WWDDL

Where to watch Manchester United vs Newcastle United on TV and live stream in the UK?

TV Channel – Sky Sports Main Event
Live Stream – Sky Sports Football

Manchester United team news:

The Red Devils are thought to be sweating over Marcus Rashford’s ankle injury that he picked up towards the end of their Old Trafford clash against Barcelona. However, we think he will overcome these issues to help Manchester United in a big final. Anthony Martial, Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek are still out of action.

Manchester United predicted XI vs Newcastle United:

De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Antony, Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford.

Newcastle United team news:

The biggest piece of team news is that of Nick Pope missing the final due to suspension, meaning Loris Karius will make his first appearance for the club. Willock, Joelinton and Targett face a late fitness test to prove their standing in the starting XI.

Newcastle United predicted XI vs Manchester United:

Karius; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Guimaraes, Longstaff, Willock; Almiron, Wilson, Joelinton

Manchester United vs Newcastle United final prediction:

Newcastle United were looking in a great position to secure a top four spot this season, but have started to show signs of wearing out in the last few weeks. In the same amount of time, Manchester United have shown their resilience and winning mentality, much recently by their win against Barcelona in the Europa League.

However, we feel this game entirely depends on Marcus Rashford and if he is fit, we predict the Red Devils to win by a scoreline 3-1.

More info on betting bonuses provided by BestofBets here.

Manchester United will host Barcelona in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 qualifier at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The first leg lived up to it’s hype as both teams gave us some high-octane quality football action throughout the 90 minutes, with the score tied at 2-2 at the Camp Nou.
Marcos Alonso and Raphinha scored for Barcelona whereas Marcus Rashford and a Jules Kounde own goal helped United to two goals.
Best of Bets takes a look at how this immense continental clash is shaping up.

Manchester United form – All competitions – W W D W D W

Barcelona form – All competitions – W W W W D W

Manchester United team news:

Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer are back from their respective continental bans that saw them miss the first leg at the Camp Nou. Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek are still out with their long-term injuries alongside Anthony Martial, who is still sidelined with a hip problem.

However, Ten Hag believes that Harry Maguire and Antony will both be fit for the second leg. Varane is expected to partner Martinez at centre-back and Wout Weghorst could start as a striker with Rashford gaining success for United in the first leg from the wings.

Barcelona team news:

For Barcelona, there are some problems as officially revealed by the club. Gavi is suspended whereas Pedri and both the young starlets will miss out on the trip to Old Trafford. Ousmane Dembele is out injured too, but the good news is Sergio Busquets is back. Frenkie de Jong, Franck Kessie and Ansu Fati are expected to start.

Manchester United probable starting XI:

David De Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Marcel Sabitzer, Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Wout Weghorst

Barcelona probable starting XI:

Marc Andre ter Stegen, Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Marcos Alonso, Jordi Alba, Frenkie De Jong, Sergio Busquets, Franck Kessie, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati

Manchester United vs Barcelona final prediction:

There is no doubt this game at Old Trafford too will be a high-octane end-to-end game with both teams trying to cancel each other out while attempting to score goals.

However, Manchester United’s home advantage and their form at Old Trafford could decide this game in their favour.

We think it will be a 2-1 win for the Red Devils, meaning they will win the tie on a 4-3 aggregate score.

Liverpool suffered the worst defeat in European competitions at Anfield on Tuesday as Real Madrid ran riot, beating the Reds 2-5 in the first leg.

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah scored early in the game to hand Liverpool a 2-0 lead before Real Madrid struck back twice to shock Anfield as the half-time score read 2-2, thanks to both teams’ goalkeepers coming up with disastrous performances.

The second half saw Real Madrid dominating the game and scoring three more goals to quite possibly end the two legged tie in the first leg and breaking some impressive records.

Multiple factors contributed to this scoreline and Best of Bets provides you player ratings out of 10 will give you a picture of what happened.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid Champions League round of 16 first leg player ratings

Liverpool player ratings:

Alisson – 2

Trent Alexander-Arnold – 5.5

Joe Gomez – 3

Virgil van Dijk – 3

Andy Robertson – 4

Fabinho – 4.5

Stefan Bajcetic – 4

Jordan Henderson – 4

Mohamed Salah – 7

Cody Gakpo – 6

Darwin Nunez – 7.5

Substitutes:

Diogo Jota – 3

Roberto Firmino – 4

James Milner – 4

Joel Matip – 4

Harvey Elliot – N/A – Came on too late in the game

Manager: 

Jurgen Klopp – 3

Real Madrid player ratings:

Thibaut Courtois – 3

Dani Carvajal – 6

Eder Militao – 7.5

Antonio Rudiger – 4

David Alaba – 4

Eduardo Camavinga – 7.5

Luka Modric – 9

Federico Valverde – 8.5

Rodrygo – 8

Karim Benzema – 9

Vinicius Jr – 10

Substitutes:

Nacho – 8.5

Dani Ceballos – 6

Marco Asensio – N/A

Toni Kroos – N/A

Manager:

Carlo Ancelotti – 9

The drama around the sale of Manchester United continue but who’s actually in the running to snap up the iconic club? 

The former board member of Credit Suisse has promised United fans to return their beloved club to former glories, while wiping out all debt that has been accrued by the Glazers.

“The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more.

 

“The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports.

 

“The vision of the bid is for Manchester United to be renowned for footballing excellence and regarded as the greatest football club in the world. More details of the bid will be released, when appropriate, if and when the bid process develops.”

Manchester United will host Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon in a must-win game for the Red Devils in order to prove their title credentials, especially after Arsenal won and Manchester City dropped points on Saturday.

Match Details:

Location: Manchester, England

Stadium: Old Trafford

Date: Sunday 19 February

Kick-off Time: 14:00 GMT / 09:00 ET / 06:00 PT

Referee: Stuart Attwell VAR: Paul Tierney

Team News:

Manchester United will be without Casemiro in this game as he serves the last of his three match ban. Marcel Sabitzer and Lisandro Martinez, however, will be back in the matchday squad after serving their respective suspensions. Scott McTominay could return.

For Leicester City, there’s a good chance Youri Tielemans will be back in the matchday squad. Boubakary Soumare will also return from a hamstring injury that he suffered at the beginning of January.

Head to Head record:

Matches played: 136

Man Utd wins: 69

Leicester City wins: 36

Draws: 31

Predicted Lineups:

Manchester United – De Gea; Dalot, Martinez, Varane, Shaw; Fred, Sabitzer; Rashford, Fernandes, Sancho; Weghorst.

Leicester City – Ward; Kristiansen, Faes, Souttar, Castagne; Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans; Barnes, Maddison, Tete; Iheanacho.

Last 6 games in all competitions:

Manchester United – W W W D W D

Leicester City – L L D W W W

Prediction:

Despite being in excellent form, Manchester United still need to add finishing touches towards closing out games, looking quite unsure towards the ending of matches.

Leicester, meanwhile, look like a new team since James Maddison has returned, but we don’t think that itself would be enough to beat United at Old Trafford.

We predict a 3-1 win for the Red Devils.

Players who will be key:

James Maddison:
On his day, Maddison could well win games single handedly for Leicester City. The English attacking midfielder is in imperious form coming into this game and that makes him a key player for the Foxes.

Marcus Rashford:
In the form of his life, Marcus Rashford looks like he is destined to score a goal almost every time he plays for Manchester United. After yet another impressive goal against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, expect Rashford to impress against the Foxes.

Lisandro Martinez:
If Manchester United are to get a result against a revitalised Leicester City, they need Lisandro Martinez more than ever. The Argentine has been excellent this season and anywhere near a perfect performance from him would lead to a win for the Red Devils.

Manchester United vs Barcelona – Player ratings for the high octane Europa League clash at the Camp Nou

Manchester United came out the stronger team in a 2-2 draw against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in their Europa League last 16 qualifying first leg

The game was played at astonishing pace and both teams tried to cancel each other out, trying to win each individual and tactical battle on the pitch.

Here’s our opinion of both teams’ player ratings (out of 10) for this clash:

Barcelona:

Marc Andre ter-Stegen: 6 – Made some crucial saves but should have dealt with Rashford’s equalising goal

Ronald Araujo: 6.5 – Surprisingly playing at right-back, Araujo was decent in dealing with the pressure from United’s wingers

Jules Kounde: 4 – Poor passing throughout the evening and struggled to contain Rashford. Then scored an own goal

Marcos Alonso: 7 – Could have done better for United’s first goal but he scored the opening goal in the game. Was okay overall

Jordi Alba: 6 – Solid performance but lacked the final ball

Franck Kessie: 5.5 – Did majority of the dirty work in midfield, but contributed nothing apart from that

Frenkie De Jong: 5.5 – Fantastic first half performance, disappeared in the second half and was outplayed by United’s midfield

Pedri: 5 – Was looking good until he was substituted with injury in the first half

Raphinha: 8.5 – Barcelona’s best player on the night and was rewarded with a goal

Robert Lewandowski: 6 – Unlike him to have a poor game, but that could be more credit to United’s efforts in limiting supply to him. Did well whenever he had the ball

Gavi: 6 – Was bright for most of the game, but earned him a silly yellow card that saw him suspended for the second leg

Subs:

Sergi Roberto: 5 – Subbed in for Pedri in the first half and proved why Xavi doesn’t start him

Andreas Christensen: 6 – Brought in composure and balance to Barcelona’s defence late in the game

Alejandro Balde: 6 – Interesting addition considering Balde loves to attack, but he did balance his left-back role pretty well

Ansu Fati: 6 – Was decent, but missed a big chance

Ferran Torres: N/A – Not enough time to make an impact.

Manchester United:

David De Gea: 6 – Was okay and could do little for the goals Barcelona scored

Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 6.5 – Was poor in defence but provided one of the best chances to score for United in the game.

Raphael Varane: 6 – Partly to be blamed for Raphinha’s goal.

Luke Shaw: 6 – Playing in a new role, Shaw learnt from the couple of times he was exposed by Raphinha and Lewandowski

Tyrel Malacia: 6 – United got so much space on the wings and it could have been utilised better by Malacia, but he failed to do so.

Casemiro: 7.5 – Seriously, where would Manchester United be without his presence? The way Casemiro managed the game was a sight to behold.

Fred: 6.5 – After being responsible for Barcelona’s opening goal, Fred stepped up a level and also assisted a goal.

Jadon Sancho: 5 – Did not make most of the chances he got to score in the first half. Withered off later in the game

Bruno Fernandes: 6.5 – Created a great chance for Weghorst as well as played a hand in the own goal scored by Jules Kounde

Wout Weghorst: 5 – Worked hard throughout the game but missed a one-on-one goal against Ter Stegen.

Marcus Rashford: 9 – Best player on the pitch by a mile. Scored his goal in tremendous fashion to give Manchester United the lead.

Subs: Alejandro Garnacho: 5.5 – Did not get much involved, but was energetic.

Every comment made by Erik ten Hag and Xavi after Man Utd and Barcelona’s exciting 2-2 draw in the Europa League

Manchester United went to Camp Nou and almost brought home a result in what was a game played at a high level in terms of quality.

Both teams were adamant to dominate each other throughout the game which led us to witness some incredible end-to-end footballing action.

Marcos Alonso and Raphinha scored for Barcelona whereas United scored courtesy of Marcus Rashford and a Jules Kounde own goal.

Both managers were extremely pleased not to lose and made some interesting comments after the game. Let’s take a look!

Xavi – Barcelona manager

Xavi was impressed by United and acknowledged the incredible effort put on the night and spoke highly of the Red Devils’ approach. He also appreciated his Barcelona team that went toe-to-toe, matching United with each stride. Here’s what Xavi said:

“United are one of the best teams in Europe. As a block, as a team, they work together. They are properly coached by a good coach and we competed against them, with a great attitude at the same intensity, equalling [them] in many ways. 

“I like the rush in the end because, in the past, we would go down mentally when behind. The stakes will be high at Old Trafford but I’m proud we gave our all today.”

Xavi added, “They are amazing in transition so we wanted to avoid transitions by putting pressure on. We made it sometimes but they are good players – Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes is very good with long-distance passes. I think they are high-level players and we have played against a major team.

“Just respect to him [Erik ten Hag] but we also generated many opportunities. They have to believe this as it was a very well matched game, a very equal game. I have a bittersweet feeling as we could have won against this great team and scored many goals as well.”

Revealing his thoughts on the second leg, Xavi said: “Well, on paper, this is going to be a very intense game at Old Trafford. Even more intense. We go to Old Trafford to compete again and will see what happens. It was a tight game against a tough rival, one of the best in Europe. So I’m currently proud of my team, in spite of the draw.”

“We were looking to surprise them [with the line-up], not to respond to Manchester United’s approach. They have a powerful armoury and a great team with high-level players and an amazing coach.”

Erik ten Hag – Manchester United manager

Speaking overall on the game, Erik ten Hag said, “I think we dictated the game. Apart from maybe 15 minutes of the first half, we had some difficulties, but for the rest, we dictated the game and we outplayed [them], so many chances, so I was a little bit disappointed that in half-time it was 0-0 because we should have scored.

“The opportunities they had, we created by ourselves. But I think it was a great game, two attacking teams, I think it was really Champions League [level] and even more than that. So I really enjoyed the game a lot. In the end, 2-2, and we have to finish it at Old Trafford.”

Speaking on the refereeing decisions, Ten Hag said, “I think it was a clear foul on Rashy. You can discuss if it’s in or outside the box, but then [if it’s outside] it’s a red card, because he was one-on-one with the keeper. So it’s a big influence, not only on this game, but in this round. It can’t be, the referee can’t make such a mistake. I asked the referee why. So he said it was outside the box and it was no foul. I said I think the linesman and the referee are in a very good position to see.

“I think we have the VAR. So I think it’s not good and was a really bad decision. I can’t understand – maybe they were impressed by the pressure Barcelona made but that can’t be at the highest European level.”

Ten Hag also commented that his team are not over-reliant on Marcus Rashford as he said, “He (Rashford) is so unstoppable at this moment, such a high belief for scoring goals, which we are happy with of course. But credit to the team as they get him every time in the right position. As I said before, we have other players who can score – Bruno, Jadon can score as well. 

“Wout, of course, and they will score. In the end, it doesn’t matter who scores but we have to score, as you say, in such a game when you create five, six or seven 100 per cent chances. You have to finish them more than that so it’s quite clear.”

On being asked about the second leg, Ten Hag said, “I can’t think about that [the second leg] in this moment. I think about Leicester, it’s all about Leicester. It’s a big game again and they are in good shape. They have two wins in a row so I know it’s going to be a tough game but we have to be ready. If we are ready we have a good chance to win.”

Inter vs Porto – Best players to look out for and predicted XI for their Champions League round of 16 clash

Inter and Porto face off in their UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg on Wednesday 22 February.

Both teams are on a remarkable run in their respective league competitions and will come into this game full of confidence.

However, there are some players who are performing at a level above others.

Who are they? Let’s take a look!

Otavio

Otavio has been in sensational form for Porto. The Portuguese winger has scored three goals and provided an impressive 10 assists in all competitions in the 2022-23 season up till now.
The amazing aspect of Otavio’s presence in this Porto team is his versatility, being able to switch and play anywhere in midfield and create a positive impact by distorting opponent formations.

Mehdi Taremi

With 20 goals and 11 assists in 33 games in all competitions, Porto’s striker Mehdi Taremi is one of the most in-form players in Europe at the moment.
Inter would need to be careful of his presence in their box as he is very smart with his positioning and movement and creating goalscoring opportunities out of nothing.
Taremi scored five goals and provided two assists in Porto’s Champions League group stage campaign which saw them top their Group B consisting of teams like Club Brugge,  Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid.

Lautaro Martinez

World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez has been in decent form heading into this game against Porto.
The Argentine forward is coming off an important goalscoring run after netting in games against Cremonese and AC Milan recently. Overall, he has scored 15 goals in 31 games in all competitions heading into this game.
What makes Martinez lethal is his pace and trickery. With Lukaku beside him, expect Martinez to score in both legs of this clash.

Hakan Calhanoglu

Inter’s midfield metronome, Hakan Calhanoglu has been the second best player after Lautaro Martinez this season.
The Turkish star has two goals and five assists this season, but he’s way more important to this Inter side than just stats.
Calhanoglu holds the balance in Inter’s midfield and provides multiple attacking combinations with wingers and strikers.
Limiting him would mean half the battle won for Porto.

Nicolo Barella

One of the best central midfielders in Europe currently, Nicolo Barella was a key part of Inter’s Champions League group stage success.
His best performance game in the clash against Barcelona where he scored in an enthralling 3-3 draw.
Barella excels at providing balance to any midfield he plays in and suits this Inter team with technicians like Mkhitaryan and Calhanoglu beside him.
Expect him to limit any possible Porto attacks during this game.

Inter predicted starting XI: 

Onana; Skriniar, Acerbi, De Vrij; Bastoni, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Martinez, Lukaku

Who will miss the second leg if booked with a yellow card? – Bastoni, Martinez

Porto predicted starting XI:

Diogo Costa; Joao Mario, Pepe, Carmo, Sanusi; Franco, Grugic, Eustaquio; Namaso, Pepe Otavio, Taremi

Inter vs Porto – What have the managers said before their Champions League clash?

Simone Inzaghi, Inter coach: 

“We respect Porto. They’re a team who have been doing well in the Champions League for years. The coach is Sergio Conceição, who was my team-mate at Lazio for years: I know him very well. Our goal is to go through and give the fans a gift: to play in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after a long time away.”

Sergio Conceicao, Porto coach: 

“I think [the first game] is on 22 February, if I’m not mistaken, and we have a lot of time to think about that Champions League opponent.”

Inter and Porto’s results in their last six games in all competitions as of February 21 (most recent first)

Inter: WDWWWL

Porto: WWWWWW

Reigning Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt take on Napoli in the Champions League round of 16 on February 21.

The first leg will be held in Germany followed by the second leg in Naples on March 15.

Here we take a look at the key players who will feature for both teams in this clash between two balanced sides.

Victor Osimhen

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has been by far the best goalscorer in Europe.

The forward has played 22 games in all competitions at the time of writing, scoring 18 goals, with 17 of those goals coming in 18 Serie A games this season ahead of the first leg against Frankfurt.
Osimhen has tremendous capability with headers and almost every touch with his right foot in the opposition box is resulting in a goal.

If Eintracht Frankfurt fail to contain him, Osimhen could single handedly put this tie to bed in the first leg itself.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been key to Napoli’s incredible Serie A campaign which they look certain to win.
The intelligent wide man has done almost everything a manager could ask of a creative attacking winger as he has scored over 10 goals and over 10 assists in all competitions this season ahead of the first leg clash against Frankfurt.
Eintracht do have some experienced defenders at their disposal, but the fact that they have to manage both Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia looks like a daunting task.

Randal Kolo Muani

We all remember Randal Kolo Muani for his incredible last minute miss for France against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final.

The French forward has been in great form in Germany, garnering close to 30 goal contributions (goals + assists) in 29 appearances (at the time of writing) across all competitions for Eintracht.

He netted two times in the six group games he played in the Champions League earlier this season. We think Anguissa will be tasked with man-marking Kolo Muani throughout this game and it will be interesting to see how that tactic pans out.

Mario Gotze

World Cup winner with Germany, Mario Gotze moved to Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2022 and has enjoyed a decent campaign.

He has made 29 appearances, scoring two goals and providing seven assists (at the time of writing) this season.

Frankfurt depend quite a bit on midfield creativity and Napoli’s midfield is one of the toughest to break down in Europe. Gotze has made a habit of making the most of such challenges thrown at him. Expect the German maestro to dominate!

Kim Min-jae

South Korean centre-back Kim Min-jae impressed at the World Cup in Qatar and since then, he has been in tremendous form for Napoli.

After arriving in Naples in the summer of 2022, Kim Min-jae has gone on to make over 25 appearances for the club, with his performances attracting interest from some of the top clubs in the world.

The South Korean defender has a tremendous sense of positioning and heading ability, something he would need to display against the likes of Kolo Muani in Frankfurt’s forward line.

An interesting aspect about this player is that whenever he plays at the best of his capabilities, Napoli almost never lose a game. It has been proved by the fact that Napoli lost just one game in the Serie A (against Inter on January 5) coming into the weekend before their clash against Eintracht.

Frankfurt predicted starting XI: 

Trapp; Smolcic, Tuta, Ndicka, Buta; Kamada, Sow, Max; Lindstrom; Gotze, Kolo Muani 

Who will miss the second leg if booked with a yellow card? – Hasebe, Jakic, Smolcic

Napoli predicted starting XI:

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Rui; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Lozano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia 

Who will miss the second leg if booked with a yellow card? – Politano

Frankfurt vs Napoli – What have the managers said before their Champions League clash?

Oliver Glasner, Frankfurt coach:

“Napoli are the best team in the top five leagues but there [is plenty of time to go until the game]: everything can change.”

Luciano Spalletti, Napoli coach:

“Every draw is tough at this level, although we are pleased that we have avoided Paris. Eintracht Frankfurt are still the holders of the Europa League, which is the second-biggest competition in Europe, and they are on the up as a team. It certainly won’t be easy.”

Premier League’s reigning champions Manchester City will take on RB Leipzig in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.

The first leg will be held in Germany with the return leg to take place at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on March 14.

Here’s a look at the best players who could impact this game over two legs!

Erling Haaland

Surely the best striker in the world right now, Erling Haaland has been on fire in his debut season in the Premier League with Manchester City.

The Norwegian maestro has scored more goals than he has played for the Cityzens in the Premier League, netting 26 times in just 23 games in the season until City’s league game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, February 18.

Haaland played four of City’s six Champions League group games and scored five goals. Leipzig have a humongous task ahead of them if they are to get anything out of this tie.

Riyad Mahrez

One of the most in-form players in the world currently, Riyad Mahrez has come up with inspirational performances for City off late.
The Algerian has scored five goals and provided four assists in 18 Premier League games this season.
He played all six of City’s Champions League group games, scoring two goals and providing one assist. If Leipzig can keep Mahrez quiet, they will gain a huge advantage in the tie.

Emil Forsberg

Swedish winger Emil Forsberg might not possess flashy stats, but his technique and composure on the ball will be critical for Leipzig to hold off City in moments when they are under extreme pressure.
Forsberg is great at winning fouls in dangerous areas, allowing his time to win set-pieces and striker City at the most opportune moment.
In recent games, Forsberg has also played as an attacking midfielder, so it will be interesting to see which position he features in for Leipzig against City in both legs.

Josko Gvardiol

One of the most impressive players at the World Cup for Croatia, centre-back Josko Gvardiol has been a towering presence for Leipzig.
Although their league form hasn’t been that great, Leipzig have hugely benefited from a leader in their defence in the form of Gvardiol.
This season, Gvardiol has been incredible as he has contributed to nine of Leipzig’s Bundesliga wins.
Additionally, he famously scored a goal against Real Madrid in Leipzig’s 3-2 group stage win in October last year.
The Croatian has a “big-game” mentality and could prove to be a key factor for Leipzig to put up a fight against a relentless opposition in Manchester City.

Leipzig predicted starting XI: 

Blaswich; Simakan, Orban, Gvardiol, Halstenberg; Laimer, Schlager; Szoboszlai, Forsberg; Andre Silva, Werner 

Manchester City predicted starting XI:

Ederson; Walker, Ruben Dias, Laporte, Ake; Foden, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish 

Leipzig vs Manchester City – What have the managers said before their Champions League clash?

Marco Rose, Leipzig coach:

“Manchester City have lots of world class players. I played there myself [as coach of Mönchengladbach] and the team have already faced them, so we know what we’re up against. We’ve shown that we can surprise a few people and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City coach:

“Huge respect what they have done in German football and in Europe. They are a young team with a clear philosophy, the way they want to play. Box-to-box transitions, a good manager who we experienced when we played against [Borussia] Monchengladbach.”

Leipzig and Manchester City’s results in their last six games in all competitions as of February 21 (most recent first)

Leipzig: WLDWWW

Manchester City: DWWLWW