By Graham Ruthven
Salvaging the season
This season hasn’t been what Manchester Metropolis needed it to be, however Pep Guardiola’s staff are at the very least making an attempt to salvage one thing after making the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday.
Metropolis’s comeback win away to Bournemouth confirmed there’s nonetheless life left within the Etihad Stadium outfit and victory over Leicester Metropolis on Wednesday night time would increase their possibilities of qualifying for subsequent season’s Champions League.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester might hardly be in any worse kind than they’re proper now. The Foxes have misplaced their final six league video games in-a-row and have failed to attain a single objective over the course of that run.
If Leicester can play on the counter-attack and use their pace within the ultimate third, they may trigger Manchester Metropolis points. Guardiola’s excessive line will give the guests one thing to focus on. In any other case, Metropolis will seemingly stroll to a few factors.
Key gamers
Omar Marmoush will virtually definitely lead the road for Manchester Metropolis after the damage suffered by Erling Haaland within the FA Cup victory over Bournemouth. The Egyptian is handiest as a second striker, however Guardiola doesn’t have many different choices within the quantity 9 place.
Nico O’Reilly made a robust case to start out towards Leicester after altering the sport towards the Cherries off the bench. {The teenager} might begin at left again with Matheus Nunes probably susceptible to shedding his spot.
With Leicester anticipated to take a seat deep and play on the break, will probably be on Metropolis to seek out methods to interrupt them down. This may place a artistic onus on Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden. Jérémy Doku and Savinho might present dynamism and directness on the wings.
Jamie Vardy is previous his peak, however the 38-year-old will nonetheless be Leicester’s most potent risk, notably if Leicester are in a position to play by means of the Manchester Metropolis press at pace.
Mads Hermansen will face a busy night on the Etihad Stadium, as will the line of defense of Conor Coady, Wout Faes and Luke Thomas in entrance of him. Leicester will bend, however can they cease themselves from breaking?
Group information
Whereas Manchester Metropolis have but to disclose the true extent of Haaland’s knee damage, he’ll miss the house fixture towards Leicester. The worry for Metropolis is that this would be the begin of a chronic absence for the Norwegian striker.
Rodri remains to be sidelined, though there was some hypothesis that the Spanish midfielder might return from damage earlier than the top of the season. Nonetheless, Wednesday’s match will come too quickly for him.
Abdul Fatawu is a long-term absentee for Leicester, with Ricardo Pereira one other participant who has not too long ago missed matches by means of damage. The complete again shall be assessed earlier than the journey to the Etihad Stadium.
Odsonne Édouard hasn’t featured a lot for the Foxes currently whereas Harry Souttar remains to be sidelined by means of with an damage.
Prediction
Whereas Leicester may not snap their present string of defeats, we do assume the Foxes have gotten a great likelihood of at the very least ending their barren run in entrance of objective. However with Man Metropolis’s artistic gamers starting to seek out their stride once more, Metropolis will discover a technique to break down the guests to the Etihad: Man Metropolis 3-1 Leicester.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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