Manchester City v Celtic: line-ups, where to watch, form guide
Monday, December 5, 2016
Article summary
Josep Guardiola swatted away City's concerns as he prepared to make changes for their rematch with Celtic; "what's important is how you arrive in February," he said.
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- Manchester City look to make it three home wins from three in Group C
- Nine-man City beaten at home by Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday
- City will come second behind group winners Barcelona; Celtic certain to finish bottom
- Celtic led three times as the reverse fixture ended in a 3-3 draw
Possible line-ups
Manchester City: Caballero; Maffeo, Zabaleta, Adarabioyo, Clichy; Fernando, Delph; Nolito, Iheanacho, Sané; Agüero.
Out: Fernandinho (suspended), Kompany (knee)
Doubtful: Sterling (knee)
Misses next match if booked: Sterling
Celtic: Gordon; Lustig, Sviatchenko, Šimunović, Izaguirre; Roberts, Brown, Armstrong, Forrest; Rogic, Démbelé.
Out: Sinclair (hamstring), O'Connell (knock), Tierney (ankle/shoulder)
Doubtful: Griffiths (cold)
Where to watch
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
Josep Guardiola, Manchester City manager
I am so happy to give minutes to people who deserve to play and who did not play in the last games. I will demand the best from those players. It is a good test for us. It is perfect to play them in the last game.
I didn't expect to do it already qualified. I'd have preferred to finish first in the group – more for the club because then you won more games. But for my experience in the Champions League, what's important it is how you arrive in February.
Brendan Rodgers, Celtic manager
For us it's a great game – we've only been together six months and to develop we need this type of game. We knew it was going to be tough, we had to be at our maximum in every game to get anything. The teams above us have huge quality in terms of where they are at and finances. It is a huge gulf but we want to be competitive, and that was going to be the challenge.
The performance against Barcelona [at home] was much better even though we lost, Borussia away was a good marker in terms of going away and performing well, and of course the Manchester City game at home. We played them when they had won ten straight games, they haven't been in a better moment all season, so for us to perform like we did gave us the belief and the confidence.
Weekend results
Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea (Cahill 45 og; Costa 60, Willian 70, Hazard 90)
City were undone by the Premier League leaders in the second half, their misery compounded by the dismissals of Sergio Agüero and Fernandinho deep in added time.
Motherwell 3-4 Celtic (Moult 3 35, Ainsworth 71; McGregor 48, Roberts 70, Armstrong 72, Rogic 90)
Celtic, who had not conceded in eight domestic matches prior to Saturday, are now unbeaten in 18 in domestic competition.
Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)
Manchester City: LWDWDW
Celtic: WWLWWD
Reporter's view: Simon Hart (@UEFAcomSimonH)
With City's runners-up spot already cemented, Guardiola will make changes ahead of the busy Christmas programme in England though Agüero seems likely to retain his place given it's his last chance of a run-out before his four-match domestic ban begins.
City have recorded just one win in their last five in Manchester in all competitions, but – on the eve of this game – Guardiola preferred to focus on the positives, suggesting that his new team had produced some attacking football that was "faster" than he had managed "in Munich and even in Barcelona". With Celtic likely to be at full strength, what we should probably anticipate are a few goals from two teams who gave us a six-goal thriller in Glasgow in September.
Did you know?
Rodgers' first game managing in the Premier League was a 4-0 defeat at City with Swansea City in August 2011. His Liverpool side finished two points behind City in the league title race of 2013/14. His record against them with the Reds was W2 D2 L2. Read more in our extensive match background.