Man City have only lost one of their previous 17 matches against German sides in the Champions League (W14 D2), with the Citizens scoring an average of 2.6 goals per game across these fixtures.

Their only defeat came away to RB Leipzig in last season’s group stage (1-2), with Pep Guardiola’s side already qualified for the knockout stages going into that fixture.

There are red flags being waved in one end of the ground. To the away end, the Champions League anthem is a red rag, prompting the now standard boos.

This is the third time that RB Leipzig have been drawn against English opposition in the Champions League Round of 16.

After winning both games versus Spurs in 2019-20, the German side were beaten in both legs by Liverpool in the 2020-21 campaign.

After winning their first three matches in the knockout stages of the Champions League, RB Leipzig have lost each of their last three without scoring a goal – 0-3 v Paris Saint-Germain in the 2019-20 semi-final and two 0-2 defeats v Liverpool in the last 16 in 2020-21.

Steph Houghton
Manchester City and England captain

Every year we kind of do have this conversation where it's the [trophy] they're after. I don't see why not with the players they have. Of course they'll be desperate to get their hands on the trophy but there's a long way to go.

They won't take Leipzig lightly after last years and it's going to be a really good game, with two sides who are playing very attacking football. I'm looking forward to it.

Among managers to have taken charge of 50+ games in the UEFA Champions League, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has the highest win percentage in the competition’s history (63% - 97 wins from 154 games).

Christopher Nkunku – who has scored in his last two Champions League games for RB Leipzig – could become the first player in the club’s history to score in three consecutive appearances in the competition.

In Leipzig’s 3-6 loss at Manchester City in September 2021, he scored his only hat-trick in the competition to date – becoming just the second player in UCL history to score one against the Citizens, after Lionel Messi (in October 2016 with Barcelona).

Erling Haaland has scored six goals in four previous appearances against RB Leipzig, scoring three separate braces against them while playing for previous club Borussia Dortmund. Indeed, Haaland has averaged a goal every 60 minutes across his four appearances versus RB Leipzig.

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The two previous meetings between RB Leipzig and Manchester City came in the Champions League last season, with a total of 12 goals being scored across the two matches (Man City 6-3 RB Leipzig and RB Leipzig 2-1 Man City).

Christopher Nkunku scored a hat-trick in that 6-3 loss for Leipzig, with Jack Grealish netting one of City's six on his Champions League debut.

Read the report of that game here.

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• Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has scored six goals in four previous appearances against RB Leipzig (all for Borussia Dortmund), at an average of one every 60 minutes.
• Among managers to have taken charge of 50 or more Champions League matches, City boss Pep Guardiola has the highest win percentage (63% - 97 wins from 154 games).
• City have only lost one of their previous 17 matches against German sides in the competition (W14 D2), scoring an average of 2.6 goals per game across these fixtures. Their only defeat was actually by Leipzig in last season’s group stage, though Guardiola's team had already qualified for the knockout rounds going into that fixture.

Manchester City

Man City manager Pep Guardiola speaking to BT Sport: "This XI they are going to try and have a good game, a good result for the second leg in a magnificent stadium and yeah, follow the gameplan and we will see what will happen."

On playing with four defenders: "Always we play in a back-four, and defend in a back-four, yeah. All the time.

"[We start] different players because Kevin [De Bruyne] is not here, Aymeric [Laporte], both are not here. We decide to play in this line-up. Nothing is special.

Did City line-up to match Leipzig? "No, they play with all the players inside, a 4-2-2-2, all the balls inside. Runners inside and in behind so typical the culture from Leipzig, Salzburg, New York Red Bull, so all the teams have these patterns.

"If we let them run, yeah [they are dangerous], but in Germany I was here for three years so if you lose balls in certain positions, if you allow them to run and are not well prepared for transitions, they are unstoppable."

On Foden being on the bench: "He played really good in the last game. But Riyad [Mahrez] played good too so we decided [to play] him."

Man City's previous trip to Leipzig will be one City supporters will want to etch from their minds, with Pep Guardiola's side falling to a 2-1 defeat in Germany.

Dominik Szoboszlai grabbed a goal in the first half before Andre Silva put the hosts firmly in the driving seat after 71 minutes. Riyad Mahrez got one back five minutes later, but the 83rd-minute dismissal of Kyle Walker put the match narrowly beyond the grasp of the Cityzens.

That one was in the group stages, and City ultimately went on to top that group - while Leipzig finished third and dropped into the Europa League - but this evening's last-16 encounter has more riding on it.

Can Guardiola's men avenge the defeat of last season, or will lightning strike twice in Leipzig?

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Steph Houghton
Manchester City and England captain

Yeah he was pretty impressive. I can remember him playing against City last year and his physicality and his left foot made him stand out.

He really stood out at the World Cup with his mentality, playing against the likes of Messi, and his will to win, so there's no wonder there are loads of clubs in for his signature.

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Inter Milan have never lost a home game to a Portuguese team before - winning eight and drawing the other with Boavista back in 1991.

But Porto have only lost one of their previous seven matches against Italian sides, winning four and drawing two.

These sides have met four times before - all in 2005 (the 2004-05 last 16 and 2005-06 groups). Inter won two with one win for Porto and a draw.

Pep Guardiola says he feels "more than blessed" with his achievements in the Champions League and that he has grown to accept "nothing will be enough" in his pursuits of glory with Manchester City.

Guardiola has yet to win the competition with City but won the tournament twice with Barcelona.

His City side lost a dramatic semi-final at Real Madrid last season and resume their knockout campaign this term against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

Public opinion focuses on Europe's biggest prize being the one City desire more than any other and Guardiola feels such expectation creates a scenario whereby criticism can easily arrive.

"I would say if my career finished tomorrow I would be more than blessed with what I've done at Barcelona, Bayern and here," said Guardiola.

"To do what I've done in Europe in such a small amount of time. We want to do our best. In the end destiny is already written.

"I had the feeling what we have done for many years, whatever happens, or what I do personally, I'm going to fail. Nothing will be enough."

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RB Leipzig were founded in May 2009, and have since been on a journey to become a recognised competitor at the top of the Bundesliga table, and thus a regular in the Champions League.

The German side are yet to triumph in the league, coming second in 2017 and 2021, and managed to get to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2020.

Winning titles - in particular European ones - are no doubt targets for both sides, and tonight they lock horns in the first leg of the last 16, as they did in last year's group stage.

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Inter Milan finished above Barcelona to seal their place in the Champions League knockout stages.

Porto finished top of a group that had Atletico Madrid at the bottom.

Both sides are second in their domestic leagues - but Porto are in red-hot form.

Porto have won their last 10 games in all competitions and are unbeaten in 22 games going back to October.

Inter have only lost once in 13 domestic games.

Anon: We are always told about the depth of City squad, there bench looks light with only Foden and Alvarez game changers.

Kev: Despite popular opinion, City have the smallest first team squad in the prem (yes they do!) and tonight’s bench is very light.

Steph Houghton
Manchester City and England captain

It seems to be a position where we don't have that outright starter. Last season Cancelo was one of the best performers and I think Ake has kind of made it his own this season.

But in terms of an out and out left-back, that's the position where we are wondering who is going to be playing there.

Matthew Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think he's really enjoying himself, Pep Guardiola, at the moment. It's such a different challenge for him, and he's enjoying being different. They've got more than one way to win a football match, and that is different.

Now, he's got slightly different option. In the Arsenal game he looked to be more interested in how they did without position. They will go long and direct because they've got a big, physical target man in Haaland.

The tactics are changing all the time, so it's an interesting season for them.

Counter-attacking kings RB Leipzig will pose a "real threat" to Manchester City's quest to win a first Champions League, believes former England defender Matt Upson.

City visit the Bundesliga outfit for the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday and Upson has warned Pep Guardiola's team that Leipzig will see them as the perfect opposition given the sides' respective playing styles.

"Leipzig are the best counter-attacking team in Europe at the moment," Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"Their record is great. Playing Manchester City, for them, isn’t that much of a problem because they are OK to not have the ball.

"They welcome teams to come on to them, especially at home, and they’ve got that ability to just hit you on the counter with real quality and pace. It’s going to be interesting to see how Manchester City handle that."

Guardiola has claimed in the build-up that City are taking a more phlegmatic 'what will be, will be' approach in their bid to be crowned champions of Europe for the first time after several seasons of coming up short.

But Upson believes that is just a public facade, adding: "Perhaps he’s having this change of philosophy because the pressure can sometimes be too much.

“Everybody at the club knows Guardiola has a great history with the Champions League but hasn’t won it with Manchester City, so I’m sure he’s desperate to.

"It’s a slightly more relaxed approach... but I’m sure behind the scenes he is his usual intense self."

Hear more City chat from 25'20 on BBC Sounds

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Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi and Porto coach Sergio Conceicao were team-mates at Lazio together and won the Italian double in 1999-2000.

"Sergio, I'll see him again with great pleasure. He was a great team mate with whom I shared victories at Lazio," said former Italy striker Inzaghi.

"He’s a great coach, he’s doing great things. He plays physical and technical football."

Ex-Portugal winger Conceicao said: "It's great to see Simone again, we were together in Rome where we won big trophies for Lazio, but now we're on different paths, we're doing a different job which is more demanding but just as fascinating.

"It's going to be a difficult game against a team that has lost once in three months."

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