MY ACCOUNT
– Manchester City are set to make wholesale changes
– Sevilla have drawn both of their away games in the Champions League
– Recommended bet: Back the draw
Manchester City and Sevilla wrap up their group stage campaign in the Champions League when they square off at the Etihad on Wednesday.
There is nothing on the line in the final round of fixtures in Group G with all of the places decided with a match to spare.
City are guaranteed top spot, with Borussia Dortmund heading through to the last-16 as runners-up and Sevilla certain to finish third, while FC Copenhagen are heading out of Europe.
Pep Guardiola has already confirmed that he will be making wholesale changes and it is likely Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli will be doing the same as he looks to focus on a major domestic game against local rivals Real Betis on Sunday.
Team news
City have shown a few hints of fatigue over the last couple of weeks and this fixture offers Guardiola the perfect opportunity to rotate.
Erling Haaland came off at half time in the draw with Borussia Dortmund due to a combination of illness and injury and he missed the Premier League win over Leicester on Saturday.
Guardiola has confirmed the Norway ace is now set to sit out Wednesday’s encounter to boost his chances of being available to face Fulham on Saturday.
Haaland’s absence once again opens the door for Julian Alvarez to lead the line in what chould be a completely new look starting XI after Guardiola revealed that “players who do not play regularly will play.”
Academy graduates Rico Lewis and Josh Wilson-Esbrand are expected to earn at least a place on the bench, while Sergio Gomez could be deployed from the outset.
Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips and Cole Palmer are still recovering from injury and will not be part of the squad.
Sampaoli will also have his mind on future fixtures with greater importance and his XI could also have a very different look to the one that lost to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
Jesus Corona is still absent after suffering a broken leg, while Tanguy Nianzou (thigh) and Youssef En-Nesyri (hamstring) are also sidelined.
The stats
Having conceded just once, Manchester City boast the best defensive record of any side after five games in the group stage.
The Premier League champions have won 13 in a row at home across all competitions, keeping six clean sheets and scoring at least three goals on 12 occasions.
City have not lost a home game in the group stage of the Champions League since falling to a 2-1 loss against Lyon in September 2018.
Sevilla have won just two of their last 11 games across all competitions, losing two of their last three outings, while they have picked up only two victories from eight away outings.
The Spanish side fell to a 2-1 defeat when they visited Manchester City in the group stage of the 2015-16 edition of the Champions League.
Prediction
With nothing to play for in this clash, it is difficult to make a strong argument for either team claiming all three points.
Guardiola has made it clear that he will be resting his key players with an eye on Saturday’s home Premier League clash with Fulham.
Sampaoli will undoubtedly be thinking about the Seville derby with Betis on Sunday as he looks to try and end his side’s three-game winless run in La Liga and drag them out of the relegation zone.
A draw, which is priced at 11/2 with LiveScore Bet, looks the way to go, especially when considering Sevilla have drawn both of their away fixtures in the competition.
