Manchester City will be on the road once again, this time to face the Bhoys in a Champions League group stage match. City will be in a buoyant mood as they look to make it 11 wins out of 11 since the start of the season and equal their previous record of games won in a row. Pep Guardiola has come in and transformed the Sky Blues who were supposedly deemed too slow and old to challenge in the Premier League last season. They have been impeccable and have been convincingly successful in surfing over any minor hiccups that might have come in their way.
Manchester City will face Celtic for the first time in history but there will be lots of familiarity between the teams. Brendon Rodgers is in charge of Celtic and he will be knowing quite a lot about City and their players. The also possess players such as Kolo Toure and Sinclair who have previously played for City while Patrick Roberts is on loan to the Bhoys from City and will face his parent club on Wednesday.
Celtic have lost their opening game to Barcelona 7-0 but are expected to avoid another rout and challenge Pep’s men throughout the 90 minutes. Rodgers will have a second reunion in two Champions League matches as he comes across Raheem Sterling who was given his big break by the then Liverpool boss.
T4O’s PREDICTED MANCHESTER CITY LINE-UP VS CELTIC (4-1-4-1)
DEFENCE
Claudio Bravo will be in goal and will be hopeful of keeping a clean sheet. He has increasingly looked settled and will have banished the Derby nightmare from his mind. Bacary Sagna is expected to be at right-back with John Stones and Otamendi forming the central defensive partnership. Guardiola might also look to install Kolarov at centre-back alongside Stones and deploy Clichy at left-back.
MIDFIELD
Fernandinho has been the unsung hero thus far and will take his place in front of the backline in a role which he has performed to perfection. With City facing a potential crisis after Kevin De Bruyne’s injury, Pep will have to make crucial decisions in the advanced areas. David Silva will keep his place while Ilkay Gundogan is expected to play alongside him thus potentially replacing the Belgian.
ATTACK
Nolito is currently serving a domestic suspension which makes him a certain starter on the left flank. The opposite flank might see Jesus Navas start if Guardiola seeks balance with the Spaniard known for his diligent tracking back.
Alternatively, he can also opt for Raheem Sterling if he goes with an attacking mindset. Leroy Sane is another option although he might be used as a sub. Sergio Aguero will lead the line as usual and Celtic will have to be on their toes to deny him his customary hat-trick.
