Manchester City are set to go head-to-head with Sporting CP on Tuesday night.
The Champions League is the only competition where Manchester City are still unbeaten — with two wins and one draw to their names in three outings so far.
Pep Guardiola’s men are two points off the top of the league table behind Liverpool and Aston Villa — who have both won every game in Europe up until now.
However, Villa have a superior goal difference to Arne Slot’s side.
Having lost two successive games against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup and AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League, Manchester City will be desperate to return to winning ways. Unlike City, Sporting are come off the back of a 5-1 thrashing of Estrela Amadora.
Here are the five things to keep a close eye out for from a City perspective.
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How will Pep Guardiola set up against Man United boss Ruben Amorim?
With Manchester United recently confirming their appointment of Ruben Amorim, Manchester City supporters will be intrigued to witness how Pep Guardiola sets his side up against them.
On Friday, a report revealed that Manchester City were uninterested in Amorim as a potential successor to Guardiola if he left upon the expiry of his contract next year due to concerns around the latter’s playing style.
Despite Sporting hosting City at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, the visitors will be expected to dominate possession.
In a contest that could give observers an idea of how the Manchester Derby could unfold in December, Pep Guardiola would be keen for Manchester City to earn a statement victory and send a warning shot to the Premier League-bound Ruben Amorim.
Guardiola tends to throw a tactical spanner in the works in virtually every game and what he has in store for the 39-year-old is one of the most intriguing possibilities about this upcoming managerial battle.
Who will Guardiola play as his Rodri replacement against Sporting?
So far, Manchester City have found it understandably difficult to replace Rodri — who won the Ballon d’Or last Monday.
In Bournemouth’s shock victory against the Sky Blues, they managed to expose how vulnerable the Premier League champions are in the middle of the park.
Pep Guardiola has kept his faith in Mateo Kovacic as his go-to holding midfielder in every league game this season.
But in the Champions League, Ilkay Gundogan has started at the base of midfield against both Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague.
Whether Guardiola sticks with either of Kovacic or Gundogan or explores a new option to replace Rodri will be interesting to see.
Will Matheus Nunes get a runout in midfield?
Lately, Matheus Nunes has played as a left-winger and thrived; registering two goals and two assists in his last four appearances in all competitions.
But against Bournemouth, Jeremy Doku came on as a late substitute and looked lively, which suggested that he may be fit to start again.
In the event that Doku or any other forward starts on the left-wing against Sporting, it will be intriguing to see whether Pep Guardiola persists with Nunes in his side.
If the Portuguese international is given a start in Lisbon, a player with his engine and experience could be trialled in his natural position in central midfield regardless as an experiment.
Nunes backs Manchester City to replace Rodri this season but whether Pep Guardiola trusts him to play in the middle of the park is a question worth asking.
Will Erling Haaland start against Sporting?
During Manchester City’s latest defeat against Bournemouth, Erling Haaland looked like he had suffered a knock in the first half and it was a surprise to see him continue playing after half-time.
Jamie Redknapp commented on Guardiola resting Haaland against Tottenham by claiming that his decision not to bring him off the bench indicated that he did not view the game as a priority.
Whether Pep Guardiola prioritises safety first and gives the Norwegian another breather or starts him after a frustrating day against Bournemouth will be a dilemma for the Catalan tactician.
Haaland would have his sights set on getting on the scoresheet after being restricted by Andoni Iraola’s side but simultaneously, Guardiola cannot afford to lose his star man to an injury as well.
Will any Man City youngsters start in the Champions League clash?
Manchester City’s matchday squad against Bournemouth featured several youngsters such as Jacob Wright, James McAtee, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Nico O’Reilly.
Considering City have several injured players currently, Pep Guardiola would be dreading the prospect of more of his key players picking up knocks before the international break.
With that being the case, a question worth asking is whether any of these young players are given a landmark start in the Champions League.
Manchester City’s league position in Europe’s elite competition gives Guardiola the license to assess whether any of their future prospects are ready for regular first-team football.
However, the unparalleled nature of this season’s Champions League format could potentially also stop Pep Guardiola in his tracks from taking any risks while picking his starting line-up,
