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Following last week’s loss in the Arctic Circle, Pep Guardiola’s men plummeted seven places in the Champions League table. Therefore, it’s likely they’ll need to take all three points in their final league phase fixture to secure automatic qualification to the last sixteen.
Manchester City overcame reigning Serie A champions Napoli on matchday one, before playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Monaco at the Stade Louis II. After registering impressive victories over Villarreal and Borussia Dortmund, the 2023 Champions League winners were put to the sword on home soil by Kasper Hjulmand’s Bayer Leverkusen. A battling 2-1 triumph at the Bernabéu then followed, leaving them within touching distance of runaway leaders Arsenal, who hold a similar advantage over City in the race for the Premier League title.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray have endured a rollercoaster Champions League campaign. The Turkish giants started out with a 5-1 thrashing from Eintracht Frankfurt, before edging past Liverpool during the Merseysiders’ nightmare run of form. Routine wins over City’s vanquishers Bodø/Glimt and Dutch strugglers Ajax came before a sequence of consecutive defeats, as the Lions succumbed to Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco.
Wednesday’s respectable 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid in Istanbul ensures Galatasaray are well-positioned to progress to the knockout phase play-offs, but a place in the top eight is now mathematically out of reach.
Coverage of this week’s contest between Manchester City and Galatasaray will be provided by TNT Sports, the United Kingdom’s lead broadcaster of Champions League football.
Manchester City v Galatasaray – Key information
Date: Wednesday, January 28th
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Referee: Alejandro José Hernández (Assistant Referees: José Enrique Naranjo Pérez and Diego Sánchez Rojo, Fourth Official: José Luis Munuera Montero)
VAR: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Assistant VAR: Robert Schröder)
TV Channels: TNT Sports 6
Live stream: discovery+
Odds: Manchester City: 1/4, Draw: 19/4, Galatasaray: 10/1
Odds provided by bet365
Manchester City v Galatasaray team news
Pep Guardiola has an extensive injury list to deal with, while Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk is also unable to call upon the services of several first-team players. As a consequence of his team’s dismal display against Bodø/Glimt, Guardiola may choose to tinker his tactical set-up for the visit of the Turkish champions.
Manchester City team news
After struggling with illness over the past week, Matheus Nunes appears to have now fully recovered. Phil Foden is also available despite breaking a bone in his hand during the derby day defeat to Manchester United, while Egyptian international Omar Marmoush has returned to the fold following his exploits at the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, a series of Manchester City players remain sidelined. Joško Gvardiol has undergone surgery after fracturing his tibia at the turn of the year, putting the Croatian out of contention for some time. His compatriot Mateo Kovačić has also endured an injury-ravaged campaign, but is further back in his rehabilitation.
Rúben Dias and Oscar Bobb are still struggling with their respective hamstring issues, although the latter is almost back to full fitness. Having damaged his quadricep during the Citizens’ goalless draw with Sunderland on New Year’s Day, Brazilian winger Savinho is out for the foreseeable future. Nico González also picked up a knock at the Stadium of Light, but should be involved in some capacity on Wednesday night. However, the same cannot be said of experienced defender John Stones, who is currently nursing a thigh strain.
Rodri was given his marching orders in Bodo after committing two bookable offences in the space of just 54 seconds, so the influential midfielder now faces a one-match ban. Having been suspended in midweek due to accumulating three yellow cards across the opening six matchdays, Bernardo Silva is free to feature against Galatasaray. However, January signing Antoine Semenyo won’t be eligible to make his Champions League debut until the knockout rounds.
Manchester City predicted lineup v Galatasaray (4-1-4-1)
Coach: Pep Guardiola
Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK); Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov, Max Alleyne, Nathan Aké; Rico Lewis; Bernardo Silva, Tijjani Reijnders, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki; Erling Haaland
Galatasaray team news
Okan Buruk is a little light on options at the back, as the 52-year-old coach continues to operate without three key defenders.
Having been one of the 102 players involved in the gambling scandal that recently rocked Turkish football, Metehan Baltacı is currently serving a nine-month ban. Meanwhile, fellow centre-back Arda Ünyay has missed his team’s last two matches thanks to an ongoing hamstring problem, although he was suspended for the meeting with Atléti anyway after being sent off late on against Union Saint-Gilloise. Buruk must also contend with the absence of Ivorian full-back Wilfried Singo, who hasn’t featured since Galatasaray’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Gençlerbirliği in late November.
Gabriel Sara and Victor Osimhen returned to action on Wednesday evening, after both players managed to shake-off niggling injuries. Osimhen hurt his ankle during Nigeria’s AFCON semi-final loss to Morocco, but will be ready to increase his impressive Champions League goals tally at the Etihad.
Galatasaray predicted lineup v Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Okan Buruk
Uğurcan Çakır (GK), Roland Sallai, Davinson Sánchez, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Eren Elmalı; Mario Lemina, Lucas Torreira; Leroy Sané, Yunus Akgün, Barış Alper Yılmaz; Victor Osimhen
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Wednesday’s clash at the Etihad is set to be televised live on TNT Sports, with kick-off commencing at 20:00 (BST). As the main focus will be on the matches involving Premier League rivals Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Liverpool, Manchester City’s tie will be aired on TNT Sports 6.
Viewers with a discovery+ subscription can also follow the action via the streaming network’s in-house app, which is available to download onto a wide range of devices.
Head-to-Head record
Manchester City and Galatasaray have never previously met.
The 25-time Turkish Süper Lig champions haven’t lost to an English opponent in UEFA’s top-tier competition since December 2014, when Arsenal clinched a 4-1 victory at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium. Both Lukas Podolski and Aaron Ramsey bagged braces on that occasion, while talented playmaker Wesley Sneijder grabbed a consolation for the hosts. Since that group stage encounter, Galatasaray have registered two wins and a draw against Premier League opposition.
Manchester City last faced a Turkish outfit over six decades ago, having been paired with Fenerbahçe in the first round of the 1968/69 European Cup. After a stalemate at Maine Road, Fenerbahçe recorded a 2-1 triumph in the return leg to eliminate Joe Mercer’s side. Less than eighteen months on from that narrow defeat in Istanbul, City secured their first piece of continental silverware by winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Manchester City v Galatasaray – Match Result odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.