Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade LIVE: Champions League team information, line-ups and more tonight

Manchester City hand a primary begin to Matheus Nunes for his or her Champions League opener in opposition to Red Star. Sergio Gomez and Nathan Ake additionally come into the team that defeated West Ham 3-1 on Saturday, whereas Manuel Akanji, Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku drop out.

Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Gomez, Rodri, Bernardo, Nunes, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Phillips, Doku, Gvardiol, Akanji, Bobb, Lewis

There was a uncommon wistfulness across the Champions League attract Monaco, the place soccer’s strongest and rich gathered in a fittingly ostentatious setting. An period was about to move.

This would be the final marketing campaign we undergo the satisfying symmetry of the round-robin, hoping it builds as much as a kind of ultimate matchdays – a part of a lexicon that’s the stage’s legacy – the place it’s something however symmetrical and chaos reigns. The clear nature of the format has produced some splendidly untidy endings.

The treble winners start the defence of their European crown as they host Red Star Belgrade on the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

City lastly put years of near-misses behind them to win the competitors for the primary time final season however, whereas Guardiola is happy with their achievements, he feels their mission is just not but over.

The City supervisor mentioned at a press convention: “I’d like to say that for our club to win the Champions League is incredible – the first time in our history – but, in perspective, how many teams have won the Champions League once?

It’s the end of an era for the Champions League, as the tournament plays out the last season of its current format before major changes are introduced in 2024.

The most significant reforms to the Champions League in a generation were announced by Uefa in 2021, days before the failed European Super League plot was launched back in 2021, and they received unanimous backing from the European Club Association and Uefa Club Competitions Committee.

It confirmed plans to change the format of European football’s top club competition from 2024, giving the tournament its first new look in 20 years. The proposals were not met with the same level of backlash that greeted the Super League plans but were still criticised by leading fans’ groups, including the Football Supporters’ Association [FSA].

Pep Guardiola spoke about his No. 1 goalkeeper, Ederson, ahead of Man City’s Champions League opener and explained why he feels the Brazilian is only going from strength to strength.

“He’s matured and he’s getting even better,” Guardiola mentioned on Tuesday, “We are a team that doesn’t concede too much and I have the feeling that when the opponents arrive he is there.

“The first save in the one-on-one against [Michail] Antonio, the moments he makes the last touch a little bit longer he was there.

“Especially the corner, with [James] Ward-Prowse he is an incredible threat, and [Kurt] Zouma with the tall incredible headers but he made a good save and at that moment it was 1-1.

“We had 16/17 shots in the first half against West Ham which is quite impressive, but these details make the difference and Ederson was there again.”

As a part of his media duties within the build-up to tonight’s match, Kyle Walker defined his resolution to remain at Manchester City and signal one other contract extension.

“Why should I want to leave this great team?” mentioned Walker when requested why he determined to remain at City, “For me it was just about the years [on the contract].

“I’m 33 years young and I still feel great. For me it was about settling in, I didn’t really want to sign another year to then have this conversation again next year. I wanted to be settled not just for me but for my family as well.

“I feel that now I am settled, you see in the performances that I don’t have it in the back of my mind because it does play on your mind where you know you’ve got a little bit of uncertainty.

“I want to stay at this Club for as long as possible because why would I leave a team that’s gone on and won three Premier Leagues in a row, a Treble and a Champions League?

“If I’d have left in the summer I don’t go and score the winning penalty at the Super Cup and lift that. It’s working out so far but it’s early days.

“Nothing’s decided at this moment in time in the Premier League or any other competition and we need to make sure that, as we are nine times out of 10, there into the later stages.”

TNT Sports’ soccer protection shall be led by 4 feminine presenters this season because it seeks to “push the boundaries” of sports activities broadcasting.

TNT Sports is the brand new title for the channel previously often called BT Sport, with Laura Woods confirmed as host of its Champions League protection alongside Reshmin Chowdhury. Jake Humphrey, who fronted BT’s Champions League protection final season, stepped again from his function in May.

Lynsey Hipgrave will proceed to host dwell Premier League protection on TNT Sports, having carried out so for the reason that begin of final season, whereas Jules Breach has changed Des Kelly because the broadcaster’s pitchside reporter.

Red Star received final season’s Serbian title with out shedding a recreation, however they modified managers this summer season and have misplaced two of their final three video games beneath Barak Bakhar.

As Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup in Doha, Kylian Mbappe was “livid”. It in fact wasn’t due to his former team-mate’s success. It was that Mbappe had missed his solely likelihood to emulate Pele and win two World Cup finals by the age of 23. The Paris Saint-Germain star is alleged to be more conscious of his legacy than maybe any earlier main participant in historical past – actually a lot more than Erling Haaland.

It is why he’s now so singularly targeted on the Champions League. That’s why he finally desires to go to Real Madrid. Watching Haaland elevate it in June may have solely added to that, all of the more so as a result of the Manchester City ahead clearly doesn’t care fairly as a lot. That isn’t to say he didn’t tremendously need it, in fact, nevertheless it’s one rising distinction with Mbappe.

The Norwegian mentioned solely final week he didn’t look after that projected rivalry, both, and which may nicely be true. Those variations between Haaland and Mbappe will nonetheless outline the following decade of soccer in the identical manner these between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did the final decade.

Manchester City have a tendency to return flying out of the blocks within the Champions League group phases as Pep Guardiola appears to win sufficient video games to qualify for the knockout rounds as quickly as potential. The City boss says this yr shall be no totally different.

“Every season we start the competition in the first game with the target to win the first game, then the group stage, then try to win the Champions League,” mentioned Guardiola on Monday.

“Nothing changes from before.

“The identical for Red Star tomorrow [Tuesday]. It is dependent upon our efficiency and our stage. We’re extremely blissful to defend this crown however this competitors doesn’t permit you errors.

“But always we were so strong at home, nine points from nine. When that happens you can win just one game away and you qualify. Tomorrow is the first step.”