Andros Townsend
Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

I watched Man City's game against Club Brugge the other week and while John Stones started as a centre back he moved into midfield a lot.

I felt like that gave them a lot more balance, a player who was defensive minded and sitting there, rather than having two midfielders in there wanting to go forward and being caught on the counter.

Stones in midfield offers the defence a little more protection and that makes sense given that they are coming up against probably the best front four in world football.

Chris Waddle
Former Newcastle & England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

Man City have not had a great few months as unit or as a team. We have spoken about them being a bit leggy and tired, and whatever team the manager has put out they have looked tired. There is a lot of them running on empty.

When you think of City over the years it is a team that works very hard and wins the ball back quickly, and when they play it they go quickly. This team doesn't press like past teams.

Given Real Madrid's pedigree in this competition and their advantage of playing the second leg at home, it feels like Manchester City need to win and win pretty big tonight to have a chance of progressing to the last-16.

What are your predictions? For tonight and the rest of the tournament?

Image source, Getty Images

Borussia Dortmund reached the final of the Champions League last year but they face Sporting tonight hoping to get a result that will revive their season.

The German giants have endured a poor run in the Bundesliga this season, with a 2-1 home loss to Stuttgart on Saturday seeing them drop to 11th in the table.

"It is not easy [to turn things around]," captain Emre Can said. "Not everything in the past weeks has been negative. We know it is about winning but you have to try to stay positive. The negative will not take you further.

"The Champions League is also different to the Bundesliga. We had a good run last year. It is somewhere where we can be successful again."

Sporting are top of the Portuguese Liga but their results have been mixed since Ruben Amorim left for Manchester United in November.

Viktor Gyökeres has scored 22 goals in 20 games in the league this season and Sporting will look to him to do the damage in tonight's first leg.

"He is a very important player for us, as he has demonstrated since he arrived at Sporting," Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva said.

"He is a natural goal scorer, but we also have other players who can give the same answer."

Into the final 10 minutes of this one and it would take an incredible comeback from Brest to deny PSG a place in the last 16.

PSG have been worthy winners, although Brest did hit the woodwork three times.

Lyle Stevik: Dembele's recent form can only be described as blistering. I wish he played in the Premier League

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Etihad Stadium

A familiar sound is already echoing around Etihad Stadium - namely the animated Spanish radio commentators.

Never knowingly understated, they certainly add to the theatre of the occasion.

Before the tie here last season, one was actually practising commentating on goals. Let's hope for plenty of the real thing for them tonight in the latest Champions League meeting between Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Image source, Getty Images

Juventus face PSV tonight with a bit of a psychological edge, having already beaten the Dutch side during the league phase of the Champions League.

The Italians have had a bit of a wobble recently, however, losing to Napoli on 25 January for their first Serie A loss of the season, before then being beaten by Benfica in the Champions League.

They have won their last two games but have not been at their best, and coach Thiago Motta said: "We saw in the last match, even if it is not a good example, the resilience of this group has increased a lot.

"We were able to win a game without playing well. But that's no use at all. As an example, yes, it's a positive point. You manage to win a game where you don't play better than your opponent."

He added: "We played a good game against PSV at that point but a lot of things have changed, both here and there. This is a different story."

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at the Etihad Stadium

I realise the play-off tie isn't half way through yet, but just a reminder the winner of the Brest v PSG contest plays either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last 16.

Two months ago, that would be quite a decent outcome for the top two seeds. It is looking less like that now.

John Murray
BBC Radio 5 Live chief football correspondent at Etihad Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

Tonight does feel odd.

Not for the fact that we are going to watch Man City against Real Madrid in a knockout tie in the Champions League - they have played each other in the sharp end of the competition in epic ties in each of the last three seasons - the winner of each going on to become champions.

What is different is that we are in the February cold not in the spring time. This game is only for a place in the last-16.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Etihad Stadium

Jack Grealish has been provided with the perfect stage to prove he can a more regular part of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's plans after being marginalised for so much of this season.

What could be better than being given an opportunity against holders Real Madrid?

Grealish has been handed his chance. Now it is up to him to take it.

Image source, Reuters

Thiago Motta has turned to three of his January arrivals as he makes five changes to the side that rounded off the Champions League group phase with a 2-0 defeat against Benfica.

English defender Lloyd Kelly gets his full debut for Juventus after making a deadline day switch from Newcastle, with fellow new arrivals Randal Kolo Muani and Chelsea loanee Renato Veiga also handed starts.

Goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio gets the nod over Mattia Perin and captain Manuel Locatelli returns in midfield.

PSV signed off the group phase with a 3-2 win over Liverpool and Peter Bosz makes six changes from that night.

Richard Ledezma, Ryan Flamingo, Jerdy Schouten, Ivan Perisic, Noa Lang and Luuk de Jong come in.

It should be 3-0 as Joao Neves' superb flicks sends Ousmane Dembele through on goal. He has just the keeper to beat and plenty of time to pick his spot, but somehow fires wide.

Image source, Getty Images

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at the Etihad Stadium

Nico Gonzalez misses tonight's game having failed to recover from the injury he picked up at Leyton Orient on Saturday.

Instead, John Stones is given the midfield screening role Manchester City haven't been able to fill properly since Rodri got injured in September.

With Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva also included, City are reliant on Stones' physicality in the middle of the pitch to ensure Real's much-hyped front four don't expose their defence.

Viktor Gyokeres is named on the bench for Sporting as their top scorer continues to work his way back from a knee injury.

Rui Borges has made five changes from their last outing in this competition when they drew 1-1 against Bologna to round off the Champions League group phase.

Goalkeeper Rui Silva, Jerry St. Juste, Matheus Reis, Joao Simoes and Geovany Quenda come in.

Niko Kovac takes charge of Borussia Dortmund for just the second time after overseeing a defeat against Stuttgart on Saturday.

Kovac makes two changes from their last Champions League encounter with Ramy Bensebaini and Maximilian Beier replaced by former Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross and Daniel Svensson.

It is a long check by VAR but Ousmane Dembele is deemed to have just strayed offside. Very, very tight but it stays 2-0.

Image source, Getty Images

Pep Guardiola makes a total of eight changes from the side that beat Leyton Orient in the FA Cup last time out.

John Stones is back in the fold and it looks like he'll be playing a key role in midfield. Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva start alongside him while Ederson is back in goal.

Jack Grealish keeps his place having been in and out of the team this season. Savinho is preferred on the other wing with all of City's new signings on the bench.

Man City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Stones, De Bruyne, Silva, Savinho, Grealish, Haaland

Subs: Ortega, Marmoush, Kovacic, Doku, Gonzalez, Gundogan, Nunes, Khusanov, Foden, O'Reilly, Lewis, McAtee

Two changes for Real Madrid from the side that drew 1-1 against Atetlico Madrid on Saturday.

In come Ferland Mendy and Eduardo Camavinga for the injured Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia.

Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy, Camavinga, Ceballos, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr, Mbappe

Subs: Lunin, Modric, Guler, Endrick, Vallejo, Fran Garcia, Diaz, G Garcia, Ramon, Chema, Aguado