RB Leipzig v Manchester City: Cherki return could revive Citizens’ Champions League campaign

Martin Demichelis will face his former club when RB Leipzig host Manchester City at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday in the Champions League. The Citizens are aiming to respond after back-to-back Premier League defeats, with Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden pushing to return to the starting XI.

The sides last met in November 2023, when City recovered from two goals down at half-time to win 3-2 in an entertaining group-stage match at the Etihad Stadium.

Three days after eliminating Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties in the fourth round of the League Cup, Manchester City produced a surprisingly blunt display against the same opponents last Saturday, losing 1-0 at home in the Premier League.

For the third time this season, Enzo Maresca’s side conceded inside the opening 15 minutes. Yasin Ayari’s goal condemned the Citizens to a second successive league defeat and saw them surrender top spot to defending champions Arsenal.

City will seek a return to winning form at Nottingham Forest before November’s international break, but must first negotiate a Champions League campaign in which they have taken six points from three league-phase matches. They are 10th in the 36-team table, having beaten Porto 2-0 and AEK Athens 5-1 either side of a 4-2 home defeat by holders Paris Saint-Germain. The win over AEK came with a heavily rotated side.

Manchester City have won only eight of their past 20 Champions League games, drawing two and losing 10. They have, however, won four of their six previous meetings with Leipzig, drawing one and losing one, and have 21 victories in 32 Champions League matches against German clubs.

Leipzig returned to the competition after a season without European football and have collected three points from their opening three matches, leaving them 29th. Their sole victory was a 1-0 home success over Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven, secured by Brajan Gruda’s late goal between 4-1 away defeats by Como and Real Madrid.

Demichelis, appointed in June, has won eight and lost five of his 13 matches in charge in all competitions. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Schalke 04 lifted Leipzig to fourth in the Bundesliga, three points behind unbeaten leaders Bayern Munich.

The 45-year-old made 15 Champions League appearances for Manchester City between 2013-14 and 2015-16, scoring in a 2-1 win at Monchengladbach in September 2015. He is seeking a fourth consecutive victory with Leipzig and a first against City since a 2-1 home win in the 2021-22 group stage. Leipzig have lost their past five European matches against English opposition.

Assan Ouedraogo, with a shoulder injury, and Marc Guiu, who has a muscle problem, are unavailable. Maxime Esteve is doubtful after a knock. Christopher Nkunku was an unused substitute against Schalke, while Antonio Nusa, Leipzig’s leading scorer this season with five goals, could start alongside Gruda and Romulo Cardoso. Christoph Baumgartner may replace Rocco Reitz in midfield.

City’s only injury concern is Antoine Semenyo, who is expected to return from a knee injury in mid-December. Cherki and Foden are candidates to return, although one of Ayyoub Bouaddi, Enzo Fernandez or Elliot Anderson may drop out. Marc Guehi could partner Abdukodir Khusanov or Ruben Dias, with Nico O’Reilly potentially replacing Josko Gvardiol at left-back.

Erling Haaland has scored 12 times in eight matches against Leipzig, more than against any other opponent. Five came in City’s 7-0 second-leg win in the 2022-23 last 16, matching the competition record.

The six previous meetings have produced 30 goals, an average of five per game. City have conceded 12 in their past six matches, suggesting Leipzig may threaten, but the prediction is for a six-goal thriller: City to win with both teams scoring at 2.32, Cherki to be decisive at 1.72 and Antonio Nusa to be decisive at 2.80.

Likely teams

RB Leipzig: Vandevoordt; Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Banzuzi, El Aynaoui, Baumgartner; Gruda, Romulo, Nusa.

Manchester City: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Fernandez; Foden, Cherki, Doku; Haaland.