After a 4-1 thumping victory over Aston Villa, Manchester City are set to travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Needless to say, they need to secure all three points to keep their title hopes alive. Apart from that, this match will hold great significance considering their next opponent.
The Citizens will face mighty Real Madrid in the quarter-final round of the UEFA Champions League. Hence, the English side would want to build momentum before the big night. Boss Pep Guardiola might also rotate the XI to keep the key players fresh for the bigger challenge next week.
4-1-4-1 Manchester City Predicted Lineup Vs Crystal Palace
Defence
Stefan Ortega to take charge between the sticks if Ederson, who faced a muscle injury, fails to meet the fitness level for the Crystal Palace fixture. Right-back Rico Lewis should retain his spot in the side as Kyle Walker hasn’t recovered from a hamstring injury.
The centre-back duo of Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias is likely to remain intact as Nathan Ake is unlikely to get match fit. Even for the left-back position, Josko Gvardiol is the front-runner, though Sergio Gomez remains an option for Pep Guardiola.
Midfield
While Rodri remains the most important key and an undisputed pick for the Citizens, it will be interesting to see if John Stones will be able to take onto the field. He might be seen in action in the second half.
Jeremy Doku alongside Phil Foden, who scored a hat-trick against Aston Villa, are likely to operate on the wings. While Bernardo Silva retains his spot, Kevin De Bruyne is in line to make his way back into the starting XI. Jack Grealish had an average outing and is starting on the bench.
Attack
Erling Haaland was given a rest against the Villans but should return for this fixture replacing Julian Alvarez. Despite a dip in form recently, he remains a threat to the opponents.
