Back Guardiola’s side to finish group stage on a high

RB Leipzig vs Manchester City: Tuesday 7 December, 5.45pm GMT, BT Sport 2

How seriously will City take this?

Three consecutive wins in the Champions League mean Manchester City are already through to the knockout stage. What’s more, they’re guaranteed to finish top of Group A thanks to their 2-1 victory over PSG a fortnight ago.

That makes this clash with RB Leipzig, who are under the temporary charge of Achim Beierlorzer following the sacking of Jesse Marsch at the weekend, a little harder to predict. 

We’re about to enter the most hectic part of the English football calendar. City will play eight games in three different competitions in the next 32 days. 

It’s inevitable that Pep Guardiola will rotate his squad in the coming weeks, and Tuesday’s game is the least consequential of all those on the horizon.

Leipzig can’t make it to the round of 16, but a Europa League place is still up for grabs for the side that finishes third in the group. That will be the Germans if they beat City, or if Club Brugge lose to PSG.

Even if City don’t name their strongest possible side, they’ll still have enough quality to pose a formidable challenge to the home team.

Goals to be expected in Leipzig

The reverse fixture back in September was a thriller: Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku netted a hat-trick but was still on the losing side, as City ran out 6-3 winners at the Etihad.

Guardiola’s side have scored a total of 17 goals in Group A. Only Bayern Munich have made the net bulge more often in the Champions League. 

Bayern are also the only side to average more shots on target per game than City in this year’s competition.

Leipzig could have their work cut out keeping Guardiola’s merry band of diminutive attackers quiet. They’ve conceded 13 goals in their five European games to date – the joint-third worst record of all 32 teams in the group phase.

City are at 1.93 to score over 1.5 goals, something they have done in each of their last seven games in all competitions.

The market has them at 3.0 to score in both halves, as they did in the first meeting with Leipzig back on matchday one.

Man City celebrate their win over Watford which took them top of the Premier League

Rejuvenated Sterling could find the net

When City failed to sign Harry Kane last summer, they decided against bringing in another centre-forward.

Guardiola has instead set his team up without a natural focal point up top. Multiple players, including Ferran Torres, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez, have been deployed as a false nine this term.

It is not clear who will get the nod in that role on Tuesday, but Sterling’s fine form means he will surely start somewhere in the front three.

The England international found game time hard to come by in the early weeks of the campaign, but he has been much more prominent of late. His goal in the 3-1 victory over Watford on Saturday means he has now scored four goals in his last six appearances for City.

Sterling could make it five goals (at least) in seven games when he takes on a brittle Leipzig defence. He looks good value at 7.8 to score first and 2.84 to score anytime.

City’s second string should do the business

As we touched upon earlier, Guardiola is likely to shuffle his pack with an eye on upcoming fixtures. City play Wolves in the early kick-off on Saturday and certain players will no doubt be held back for that game.

Yet City’s strength in depth is such that even a reserve side would have a good chance of reaching the knockout phase of the Champions League.

Marsch lost his job after three consecutive defeats in the Bundesliga, and Leipzig will be low on confidence here.

Their task has been made more difficult by the latest coronavirus restrictions in the German state of Saxony, which prohibit attendance of sporting events.

City’s chances of victory have been boosted by the behind-closed-doors ruling. Our traders have them priced at 46%, with the draw at 26% and Leipzig at 28%.