Confirmed Line-Ups: Manchester City vs Galatasaray (UEFA Champions League) | OneFootball

Manchester City welcome Galatasaray to the Etihad Stadium in a must-win UEFA Champions League group-stage decider on Wednesday night.

Pep Guardiola’s side enter the tie in a precarious 11th position in the Champions League group-phase rankings, knowing that only a victory will keep their hopes of a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the Round of 16 alive.

Recent form has been a concern for the Blues, with back-to-back defeats against Manchester United and Bodø/Glimt exposing defensive vulnerabilities, though a weekend win over Wolves has restored some domestic confidence.

The night will also be an emotional one for the Etihad faithful as two modern-day club legends make their return to Manchester. Ilkay Gundogan, the treble-winning captain, and Leroy Sane are set to feature for the visitors, with Guardiola expressing his gratitude for their contributions to the club in his pre-match press conference.

However, City’s squad depth remains tested by a significant injury list and registration restrictions. While January additions Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo have made immediate impacts in the Premier League, both players are ineligible for selection in Europe until the knockout stages of the competition.

Compounding selection issues is a suspension for midfield anchor Rodri, who misses out following his red card in Norway last week. The Ballon d’Or winner joins a lengthy injury list that includes Ruben Dias, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Oscar Bobb and Savinho.

City need to gain momentum as they enter a tricky run of fixtures on several fronts, with Arsenal slipping up in the title race at the weekend after losing at home to Manchester United, and handing the Blues a renewed lifeline in their pursuit of a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.

Ahead of Wednesday’s 20:00 UK kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, both Pep Guardiola and Okan Buruk have confirmed their starting line-ups:

Manchester City

Starting XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, Ait-Nouri; O’Reilly, Bernardo (C), Cherki; Doku, Haaland, Marmoush.

Substitutes: Trafford, Bettinelli, Lewis, Alleyne, Mfuni, Nico, Gray, Reijnders, Mukasa, Foden.

Galatasaray

Starting XI: Çakir; Sallai, Sánchez, Bardakci, Jakobs; Sara, Lemina; Sané, Gündogan (C), Yilmaz; Osimhen.

Substitutes: Sen, Güvenç, Icardi, Akgün, Elmali, Kutucu, Ayhan, Torreira, Kahraman, Karasu, Koçak, Singo.