The English champions host the best in Czechia on Wednesday as Manchester City faces Sparta Prague at the Etihad Stadium. This encounter marks the first time these two teams have met in European competition, with both sides earning four points from their opening two matches. The Citizens currently sit in eighth place in the UCL table, while the Maroons are just two places behind in tenth.
Match Preview
Manchester City has extended their unbeaten streak across all competitions to 12 matches this season, remaining the only Premier League team yet to lose. They secured a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Sunday, demonstrating their dominance with nearly 80% possession and 22 shots on goal. A stunning 20-yard strike from Josko Gvardiol equalized after Jorgen Strand Larsen opened the scoring, with John Stones netting a dramatic winner in the 95th minute.
This victory marks a new club record, bringing City to 31 matches unbeaten in the Premier League (W25 D6). If they can avoid defeat against the Maroons, they will set a new record for the longest unbeaten run in European Cup/Champions League history. Currently, the Citizens boast a 25-match unbeaten run in the Champions League (W17 D8), scoring 64 goals and conceding just 18. Their last Champions League outing ended in a 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava three weeks ago.
Sparta Prague’s Journey
Making their Champions League return after nearly two decades, Sparta Prague has made an impressive start, securing four points from their opening two matches. They navigated through the qualifying rounds by defeating Shamrock Rovers, FCSB, and Malmo. The Maroons kicked off their group stage with a commanding 3-0 victory against Red Bull Salzburg and followed up with a 1-1 draw against Stuttgart in Germany.
Despite suffering two defeats in the Czech First League, Sparta returned to winning form by beating Slovan Liberec 2-1, thanks to goals from Tomas Wiesner and Lukas Haraslin. Lars Friis’s side currently sits second in the league table, three points behind leaders Slavia Prague. However, they must first test their mettle against Manchester City, marking their ninth encounter with an English side in European competition, where they have historically struggled with only four wins from 22 meetings.
Team News
Manchester City continues to cope with the long-term absences of Rodri (ACL) and Oscar Bobb (leg fracture). Guardiola has expressed doubts about the availability of Kyle Walker (fitness) and Kevin De Bruyne (groin) for Wednesday’s match.
Nathan Ake, who missed seven matches due to a muscle injury, was an unused substitute against Wolves and may play a part against Sparta Prague, although a start is unlikely. Josko Gvardiol is set to continue at left-back, while Guardiola may consider rotating the squad in various positions.
For Sparta Prague, Imanol Garcia (knee) is both injured and ineligible, while Elias Cobbaut (illness) remains unlikely to feature. Martin Vitik, returning from a domestic suspension, could slot back into central defence, replacing Asger Sorensen.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Gundogan, Nunes; Bernardo, Foden, Grealish; Haaland
Sparta Prague: Vindahl; Vitik, Panak, Zeleny; Preciado, Kairinen, Laci, Wiesner; Birmancevic, Rrahmani, Haraslin
Sparta Prague has scored in all 19 competitive matches this season and will look to capitalize on any weaknesses in City’s defense, which has shown vulnerability to counter-attacks. However, the Citizens’ formidable home record suggests they should have enough quality to outscore their opponents and secure all three points.
