Manchester City haven’t had the best of seasons so far but they will have the chance to make it a happier one to some extent when they host Monaco in the Uefa Champions League round of 16. Coming from a healthy 5-3 lead, it won’t be a walk in the park for the visitors as Monaco are been the highest goal scoring side in Europe this season.
Guardiola has a tough choice to make in terms of selecting his first eleven. He cannot afford to lose Fernandinho at the cost of Kevin De Bruyne but he also cannot compromise with his tactics. So most likely both the players will get a chance and Fernandinho will be slotted in the left back position. The gaffer has rotated his squad in the last few matches to give his key players a breather ahead of the crucial clash.
Opponents have often exposed loopholes in City’s defence and the English giants have conceded 29 goals in the English top tier. Despite the arrival of John Stones, the big money signing has failed to justify his price tag. Claudio Bravo has been awful since his arrival from Barcelona and Pep has been forced to deploy Willy Caballero in the City goal.
However, things might be different against Monaco and we look at three players who could play an important role.
Yaya Toure- The Ivorian had been frozen out by Pep after his agent had publicly criticised the gaffer and his policy. But since his return, the 33-year-old has played a vital role under Pep. For the last few seasons, Toure usually played the role of a box to box midfielder. From breaking up opponent’s play to initiating a counter attack, Toure has been an influential player for them. But the arrival of Guardiola has changed his game turning him into an out and out holding midfielder whose work is to give the backline an extra shield of protection.
Sergio Aguero- The Argentine’s future has been the subject of intense speculation as he was overlooked by Pep for a few games. But since the injury of Gabriel Jesus, he has been the number one striker for Pep. Despite having fallen out of favour, the 28-year-old has scored 12 goals from 16 League starts this season and Pep will once again rely on this player.
Leroy Sane- The youngster who was brought by Pep to sharpen his attack has gradually developed under the manager. He was excellent against Middlesbrough. His skill on the ball and dribbling is a treat to watch and he knows exactly why City paid a massive amount for him.
