Monaco v Man. City: line-ups, where to watch, form guide
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Article summary
It would be difficult to top the thrill-a-minute first leg but both camps expect more of the same, with Josep Guardiola labelling Monaco "the best team in the world at scoring goals."
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Article body
- Manchester City take 5-3 advantage to Monaco
- Monaco unbeaten in five European home matches this term (W4 D1)
- Ligue 1 side already overturned away first-leg defeat twice this season
- City not won away in 2016/17 UEFA Champions League (D2 L1)
- Guardiola's team 11 games unbeaten on all fronts
Possible line-ups
Monaco: Subašić; Sidibé, Raggi, Jemerson, Mendy; Silva, Bakayoko, Fabinho, Lemar; Mbappé, Falcao.
Doubtful: Falcao (knock)
Out: Glik (suspended), Boschilia (knee), Carrillo (groin)
Misses next match if booked: Fabinho, Bakayoko, Sidibé, Falcao
Manchester City: Caballero; Sagna, Stones, Otamendi, Clichy; Fernandinho; Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Sané; Agüero.
Out: Gabriel Jesus (foot)
Misses next match if booked: Otamendi, Fernandinho, Sterling
Where to watch
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
Leonardo Jardim, Monaco coach
I think both teams will attack. We'll try to score because we need two more goals to qualify. [Manchester City's] individual quality is a real danger; they can score at any time. To qualify I think we need to score at least three goals.
Both teams will no doubt respect their DNA because it's difficult to change players' attacking mentality. There'll be a lot of space and attacking intent tomorrow – and perhaps a lot of goals.
Josep Guardiola, City manager
I definitely feel that if we don't score, we'll go out. It would be a huge mistake to think about what we have done and not think about the job we still have to do. The best way [to defend] is score goals.
My impression of Monaco is that they are the best team in the world when it comes to scoring goals. They attack with five or six players at a time. They are physically strong and fast. I was really impressed before the first game and even more impressed after.
We can win the Champions League playing the way we did in the first leg. It's the only way I know and I'm sure the second leg will be a fantastic game again. I invite people to sit down in front of the TV and enjoy.
Weekend results
Monaco 2-1 Bordeaux (Mbappé 68, Moutinho 74; Rolán 84)
Monaco notched their fourth win in as many domestic fixtures since losing 5-3 in Manchester last month. Kylian Mbappé's tenth Ligue 1 goal of the campaign set them on their way to a victory that maintained their three-point lead at the top of the table.
Middlesbrough 0-2 Manchester City (Silva 3, Agüero 67)
City kept their sixth successive away clean sheet as they booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals. The outcome seldom looked in doubt once David Silva turned in Pablo Zabaleta's cutback early on. Sergio Agüero rubber-stamped City's trip to Wembley next month with his sixth goal in his last five outings.
Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)
Monaco: WWWWLD
City: WDWWWD
Reporter's view: David Crossan (@UEFAcomDavidC)
This will have to go some to match the heady excitement of the first leg, though thrills are the stock-in-trade of Monaco's vibrant young team so Wednesday promises to be tight. Jardim's side – capable of scoring "a thousand million goals" according to Guardiola – will fancy their chances of getting at least two, especially with 18-year-old Mbappé in red-hot form. However, the key will be to defend better than in Manchester. Jemerson is back from suspension and will replace centre-half Kamil Glik.
Did you know?
Monaco famously retrieved a two-goal first-leg deficit to eliminate Real Madrid in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals (2-4 away, 3-1 home). Read more in our extensive match background.