Basel welcome Manchester City for last-16 opener

FC Basel 1893 and Manchester City FC have both found the UEFA Champions League round of 16 a sizeable obstacle in years gone by, and will be eager to take a significant step towards progress when they meet for the first time at St. Jakob-Park.

• While the visitors have lost three of their four last-16 ties – the exception coming in 2015/16, when Manuel Pellegrini's City went on to reach the semi-finals – Basel were beaten on their two previous appearances at this stage, in 2012 and 2015.

Match background

Basel
• This is Basel's third appearance in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. In 2011/12 they beat FC Bayern München 1-0 in the home first leg only to lose 7-0 away – their biggest defeat in UEFA club competition.

• In 2014/15, Basel drew 1-1 at home to FC Porto – Danilo, now with City, scoring Porto's goal from the penalty spot – but suffered another heavy away defeat, going down 4-0 in Portugal.

• Basel have already enjoyed success against a Manchester club in this season's competition, beating Manchester United FC 1-0 in Switzerland on matchday five having lost 3-0 at Old Trafford in the opening round of games. They finished second behind the English side in Group A, collecting 12 points – their highest total in a UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Before thrashing SL Benfica 5-0 on matchday two – their record UEFA Champions League win – Basel were without a victory in nine European matches, home or away (D3 L6), since a 2-1 home success over AS Saint-Étienne on 25 February 2016.

• Raphaël Wicky's team were beaten 2-1 at home by CSKA on matchday four and, despite the United win, have now lost three of their last five European fixtures at St. Jakob-Park. In fact, Bebbi have won just three of their last ten European home matches, with four losses in that run.

• Basel were eliminated from Europe last term following a 4-1 home loss to Arsenal FC on 6 December 2016. They have lost only six of their last 25 European home games since the start of 2013/14.

• Beaten away and at home by Arsenal in autumn 2016, the Swiss side had lost their previous three matches against English clubs before overcoming United, having been unbeaten in the previous four (W3 D1). Overall their record against English rivals is W7 D8 L13 (W6 D3 L5 at home).

• Basel's record in two-legged knockout ties against English clubs is W1 L4. That sole victory came on penalties against Tottenham Hotspur FC in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals (2-2 away, 2-2 home); they lost 5-2 to eventual winners Chelsea FC in the next round (1-2 home, 1-3 away), their most recent knockout contests against a Premier League team. 

Manchester City
• The Citizens have played in four previous round of 16 ties. Last season Pep Guardiola's side lost on away goals to AS Monaco FC (5-3 home, 1-3 away), their third defeat at this stage. City also went down to FC Barcelona in 2013/14 (0-2 home, 1-2 away) and 2014/15 (1-2 home, 0-1 away); their sole last-16 success was a 3-1 aggregate victory against FC Dynamo Kyiv in 2015/16 (3-1 away, 0-0 home).

• The 2015/16 campaign is the only previous occasion City won their UEFA Champions League group and also the only time they won the subsequent round of 16 tie.

• This is City's first tie against Swiss opposition.

• Having won their first five games in this season's competition, City lost 2-1 at FC  Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday six. They had previously won 4-0 at Feyenoord and 4-2 at SSC Napoli.

• City did not win away in last season's competition, losing at Monaco (1-3) and Barcelona (0-4) and drawing at Celtic FC (3-3) and VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach (1-1). They have won just three of their last ten European away fixtures (D3 L4).

• The Barcelona match was City's biggest European defeat, home or away.

Coach and player links
• Guardiola oversaw Barcelona's 5-0 away win and 1-1 home draw against Basel in the 2008/09 group stage – a campaign that ended with Barça winning the competition, part of a treble of trophies they lifted that season including the Liga and Copa del Rey.

• Three of Fabian Frei's six European goals have come in England – including Basel's opener in a 3-3 draw at Manchester United in September 2011. He also scored in the 2-2 UEFA Cup quarter-final draw at Tottenham in April 2013 – Valentin Stocker getting the other – and a 1-1 draw at Liverpool FC in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Kyle Walker was in the Tottenham team beaten by Basel in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.

• Fernandinho scored in Shakhtar's 2-1 win at Basel in the 2008/09 UEFA Europa League group stage.

• Vincent Kompany helped Hamburger SV earn a 1-1 UEFA Cup draw at home to Basel in December 2007.

• Ricky van Wolfswinkel's goal proved crucial as Sporting Clube de Portugal ousted City in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg. The Dutch striker scored the second goal in a 3-2 away second-leg defeat, confirming an away-goals success after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

• Have played together:
Geoffroy Serey Dié & Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast, 2013–2015)

• Raheem Sterling set up England's first goal in a 2-0 UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying away win against Switzerland at St. Jakob-Park in September 2014.

Match facts

Basel
• UEFA Champions League squad changes
In: Fabian Frei, Léo Lacroix, Valentin Stocker
Out: Manuel Akanji, Alexander Fransson, Omar Gaber, Cédric Itten, Dereck Kutesa, Dominik Schmid, Renato Steffen

• Taulant Xhaka, Éder Balanta and Raoul Petretta are a booking away from a ban.

• Basel kept clean sheets in winning both their Super League games after matchday six before the Swiss winter break, but opened 2018 with a 1-0 home defeat against FC Lugano on 4 February, Mohamed Elyounoussi missing a penalty.

• That defeat came after eight successive competitive wins at the end of 2017. Basel got back to winning ways with a 2-0 win at FC Thun on Saturday.

• Luca Zuffi underwent foot surgery during the winter break, but has returned to training.

• Goalkeeper Germano Vailati is a long-term absentee following shoulder surgery.

Manchester City
• UEFA Champions League squad changes
In: Aymeric Laporte, Olexandr Zinchenko
Out: Jacob Davenport, Eliaquim Mangala, Charlie Oliver

• Kevin De Bruyne is available after a one-game ban; Danilo's next yellow card will incur a suspension.

• The Manchester club completed 3,996 passes in the group stage – more than any other side.

• City have won all but four of their 27 Premier League games this season. They were 5-1 winners at home to Leicester City FC on Saturday, Sergio Agüero scoring four.

• Agüero has 13 goals in ten games in all competitions in 2018. His haul at the weekend was the third time he has managed four in a Premier League match; no other player can match that.

• City's unbeaten start to the Premier League season was ended in spectacular fashion on 14 January as Liverpool FC ran out 4-3 winners at Anfield. The Citizens had won an English top-flight record 18 successive league matches before being held 0-0 at Crystal Palace FC on 31 December.

• Raheem Sterling has 15 Premier League goals this season – already six more than his previous best total of nine, with Liverpool FC in 2013/14.

• City have reached the English League Cup final, beating Championship side Bristol City FC 5-3 over two legs in the semi-finals; they will play Arsenal FC at Wembley on 25 February.

• Guardiola's side will play League 1 side Wigan Athletic FC in the FA Cup fifth round on 19 February – a repeat of the 2013 final, which City lost 1-0.

• Benjamin Mendy has not played since a cruciate knee injury on 23 September. Gabriel Jesus (knee, out since 31 December), Fabian Delph (knee, 14 January) and Leroy Sané (ankle, 28 January) are all currently sidelined.

• Phil Foden (ankle, out since 19 December) returned as a second-half substitute against Leicester.

• City paid a reported club-record fee to sign 23-year-old defender Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Club in January.

• Kevin De Bruyne (2023), Fernandinho (2020) and Nicolás Otamendi (2022) all signed new contracts last month.

• De Bruyne was included in the UEFA.com Fans' Team of the Year 2017.