Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Etihad Stadium

Sergio Aguero's absence from Manchester City's side in some games has been the catalyst for speculation about his future, with Brazilian teenager Gabriel Jesus appearing to find more favour with manager Pep Guardiola.

With Jesus injured, Guardiola has no hesitation in starting with Aguero against Monaco tonight and the main goalscoring responsibility for ensuring City have a healthy position to protect in the second leg of this last 16 tie falls on the world-class Argentine.

As options go, Aguero is not a bad one.

Chris Waddle
Ex-England winger, BBC Radio 5 live

If this is 0-0 I will be very, very surprised, with the way both teams set up. You will fancy City to score but they will definitely concede.

Manchester City made a raft of changes at the weekend for their FA Cup trip to Huddersfield, and drew 0-0.

Pep Guardiola has shuffled his deck again, making seven changes tonight. Goals?

Image source, Getty Images

It's a meeting of two former Champions League runners-up in Germany tonight.

Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid side agonisingly lost out to city rivals Real Madrid on penalties last season, having also lost to them in 2014.

Striker Kevin Gameiro netted a rapid four minute and 47 seconds hat-trick against Sporting Gijon in La Liga on Saturday.

Bayer Leverkusen, beaten by THAT Zinedine Zidane volley in 2002, will be no pushovers, unbeaten at home in Europe for the last 10 games.

Image source, Reuters

He was full of beans after defeat by Manchester United at the weekend but now Blackburn Rovers have parted company with manager Owen Coyle after eight months in charge.

The 50-year-old took over at Rovers in June 2016, but won just 11 of 37 games.

Blackburn are 23rd in the table, three points from safety, in a season which has also been marred by fan protests against the club's owners, Venky's.

"The decision has been taken to give the club the best possible chance of climbing to a position of safety in the Championship," said a club statement., external

Monaco top the Ligue 1 table and are the highest-scoring team in any of Europe's main leagues, with 76 goals in 28 games.

Striker Radamel Falcao returns to England having scored 19 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions this season.

The Colombian, 31, scored four times in 29 appearances for Manchester United during the 2014-15 season, and just once at Chelsea the following campaign.

"Monaco are the most successful team in Europe in terms of scoring goals, so this is a tough draw," said Pep Guardiola.

"We are looking forward to playing against them. They are a really good team."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City make seven changes to the side that drew with Huddersfield in the FA Cup at the weekend.

Willy Caballero, Bacary Sagna, Yaya Toure, Leroy Sane, David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling all return to the starting XI. Fernandinho, who has played in several positions for City this season, starts at left-back.

Former Manchester United and Chelsea striker Radamel Falcao leads the attack for free-scoring Monaco alongside 18-year-old wonderkid Kylian Mbappe. 

Mbappe, who has been described as 'the new Thierry Henry', has scored four goals in his last three games, including a hat-trick against Metz in Ligue 1.

Manchester City XI: Caballero, Sagna, Stones, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Sane, Silva (C), De Bruyne, Sterling, Aguero.

Monaco XI: Subasic; Sidibe, Glik, Raggi, Mendy; Silva, Fabinho, Bakayoko, Lemar; Falcao, Mbappe  

The next Henry?! We shall see.

 At 18 years and two months Kylian Mbappé is the third youngest France player to start a Champions League game.

We expect big things. 

Julien Laurens
French football expert on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Rex Features

I really believe that Kylian Mbappe is better at 18 than Thierry Henry was and Thierry admits it as well.

He's only 18 but he's so mature. He has everything - right foot, left foot, good in the air. That's not to say he'll have as good of a career as Thierry did.

Pep Guardiola wants his players to embrace the pressure of their Champions League last-16 tie tonight - even though he knows the club's critics will "kill them" if they do not progress.  

While Guardiola's previous two employers have been European champions 10 times between them, City reached their first semi-final last season and have progressed to the knockout round only four times.

"People can think Manchester City have to be here but a lot of big clubs are not here," said the 46-year-old. "We are lucky guys."

Image source, Getty Images

"Our recent history is quite good but over the long history, Manchester City was not here for a long time.

"All of Europe will watch us, to analyse us, to kill us if we don't win or say how good we are if we do."

As expected, former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez leads the line for Bayer Leverkusen. The 17-year-old German midfielder Kai Havertz makes his first Champions League start.

Leverkusen XI: Leno, Henrichs, Dragovic, Toprak, Wendell, Bellarabi, Araguiz, Kampl, Brandt, Hernandez, Havertz. 

There is no return to the Atletico Madrid starting line-up for goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who has been out since December with a shoulder injury.

Ex-Manchester City defender Stefan Savic and former Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis both start but former Liverpool man Fernando Torres is on the bench.

Atletico XI: Moya, Vrsaljko, Savic, Gimenez, Filipe Luis, Gabi, Niguez, Koke, Carrasco, Griezmann, Gameiro.

Image source, Rex Features

After Saturday's 0-0 draw with Man City in the FA Cup, Huddersfield return to Championship action tonight. A win over Reading will see the Terriers move to within four points of the automatic promotion places.

Elsewhere in the Championship, Wigan travel to QPR, Derby host Burton and Sheff Wed face Brentford.

Follow all of tonight's EFL action here.

Accrington Stanley's League Two match against Cambridge is already OFF.

The 5 live team are live from the Etihad ahead of tonight's game. Get your questions in.

App users may need to click the link to view the video in full.

Chris Waddle
Ex-England winger, BBC Radio 5 live

If Man City can gel and defend well they're capable of going through. They can score goals and create chances but I just worry about the back four.

Pep will be judged next season. He's come in and brought in a few young players but he needs his time. Whether the fans can be patient enough, time will tell.

When he stands back at the end of the season he'll realise he needs another three or four defenders at least.

If you score 100 goals in a season you know you've had a blinder. Monaco have hit the ton already and it's only February.

They have scored 76 in the league alone. To put that into context PSG have scored 50.

Celtic have only - only - got 67.

Good luck Fernandinho and co...

Julien Laurens
French football expert on BBC Radio 5 live

There's no expectations of Monaco tonight. They're top of the table in the league and there's still a lot to play for even if Europe goes for them.

The pressure is all on Man City and Pep Guaridola.

Manchester City

Manchester City retain just John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi, Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho - who appears to be playing at left-back - from the team which drew with Huddersfield.

Full team news to follow. 

Yes, two last-16 ties get under way tonight as we work our way down the long and winding road to Cardiff.

Who will take a first-leg advantage home in their hand luggage? 

Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid (19:45 GMT)

Manchester City v Monaco (19:45 GMT)

Evening all,

The footballing world has managed to tie itself in a bundle of knots for the past 20 hours or so over the reasons why a man ate a pie.

The coverage was vast, the repercussions huge.

But we shall not let it overshadow the fact that there are some Champions League knockout games to get excited about!

So we plan to park the pasties, for a few hours at least, and focus on events on the field.

Image source, Reuters

Do we have a deal?