Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Etihad Stadium

Bayern Munich's supporters are always a colourful and noisy presence at any Champions League game and it is no different at Eithad Stadium tonight for this Champions League quarter-final first leg.

They were packed into their corner early with the usual array of flags and banners, optimism lifted by the arrival of Champions League-winning coach Thomas Tuchel.

Big atmosphere and big night ahead.

Dion Dublin
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

An angry centre-forward is a dangerous one. He starts the game angry, he'll always let the centre-half know he is playing the game.

I think he will be the man they will look to, and I think Bayern know that as well.

It has been raining pretty relentlessly in Manchester this evening but it now seems to have subsided as the two teams come out onto the pitch.

A great atmosphere as Hey Jude blasts out through the sound system.

Image source, Getty Images

Karen Bardsley
Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's a beautiful thing. The two of them they are an absolute force.

You've got De Bruyne who is obsessed with being creative and then Haaland. They're just so much fun to watch and they have this intuitive partnership. It's frightening.

Gale force winds and weather warnings over here. Over in Lisbon it's been T-shirt weather after a day of sunshine. Temperatures are set to top 30 degrees in Portugal's capital at the weekend apparently. Not bad for some.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel, it turns out, didn't have a sleepless night last night, telling BT Sport: "I slept good last night but not too long.

"When you wake up you go through all your options. If you face a team of this level in the quarter-finals you have to make tough decisions. We will start with 11 but not finish with the same 11 for sure.

"We were thinking about it and Joao was an option, like Sadio, but we took some last-minute decisions. This is how it is."

Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, speaking to BT Sport on starting Bernardo Silva ahead of Riyad Mahrez: "Both are fantastic competitors. I use Bernardo for different things."

On Bayern Munich: "They have a big squad. Muller may come in and Mane as well. You see the bench and it is impressive. Bayern have always been there so you know they have good quality players."

Ryan: After an impressive run of form, Grealish has a huge chance to concrete his place on the left wing with Foden currently out, against the mighty Bayern.

Will: That City line up is either genius, or the most over thinking Champions League team Pep has ever put out.

Image source, Getty Images

Lots of headlines lately about match officials.

Premier League referee Michael Oliver will be hoping for a quiet game in Lisbon when he takes charge of Benfica-Inter Milan.

Stuart Attwell is the assistant VAR.

Simon Gleave, head of sports analysis, Nielsen's Gracenote: "The Euro Club Index's, external top two teams already meet each other in this year's quarter-finals. Before Manchester City's tie with Bayern Munich kicks off, City have a 59% chance of progressing to the semi-finals with Bayern on 41%. City will need to get a positive result this evening to ensure that they remain favourites to reach the last four." "In the other quarter-final, Benfica (Euro Club Index ranked 15) meet Internazionale (13th). This is the tightest of the four ties in this round with Inter having a 51% chance of making it to the last four and Benfica 49%."

Image source, Getty Images

Pep Guardiola drew comparisons with golfer Jack Nicklaus and basketball star Michael Jordan as he defended Manchester City's Champions League record.

Despite dominating the Premier League in recent years they have fallen just short in European's premier club competition.

But Guardiola urged patience, highlighting that sporting greats Nicklaus and Jordan lost more often than they won.

"All games are so difficult," he said.

"How many Masters has Jack Nicklaus played or majors has he played in his career, in 30-40 years as a golfer? How many wins out of 164? Eighteen wins.

"Wow. He loses more than he wins. That is sport. In football, in golf, in basketball.

"Michael Jordan, the best athlete for me in basketball, won six NBA titles out of 15 years. He loses more than he wins.

"What is important is to be here, compete well, do our best. No more than that."

Paul: Man City should be wary of some old familiar faces on the Bayern Munchen’ side. The likes of Mane, Sane and even the loanee Cancelo all have the ability to hurt City

Dave: Hey, Chelsea, remember that guy you sacked? Tuchel with Bayern, Lampard with Chelsea. Again. Says it all really.

JR: Are loanees really allowed to play against their parent club in the Champions League? Sounds a little crazy to me...

Answered in the entry below, JR!

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Joao Cancelo has the chance to become the latest player to haunt his parent club tonight, if he comes on for Bayern Munich.

The Portugal full-back joined Bayern in a surprise loan move in January after 154 games and two league titles for Manchester City.

Unlike in the Premier League, Uefa competitions allow players to play against their permanent employers.

BBC Sport has looked at some previous times players have made their parent clubs pay. Head here to read more.

Karen Bardsley
Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

This club from the moment they brought Pep in that was always the intention. It would just be the icing on the cake for Manchester City to bring this trophy home. It's the perfect opportunity to add to the amazing story of Manchester City and the fans would be so, so proud to see the trophy lifted. That beautiful, incredible and exciting football, that's what they're proud of.

Pep Guardiola has been pictured with legendary German goalkeeper and Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn prior to tonight's match at the Etihad Stadium.

The pair have three Champions Leagues between them, and Guardiola continues the search for his own third this evening.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Rex Features

Romelu Lukaku's career includes transfer fees totalling £300m but it's still not enough to earn him a place in Simone Inzaghi's Inter Milan starting XI.

Inzaghi has opted for 37-year-old Edin Dzeko to start up front ahead of Lukaku, who is on loan from Chelsea.

Inter have managed just three goals in the past six matches in all competitions, none of which have ended in a win.

This game against Benfica perhaps could not have come at a worse time for Inter Milan.

The Italians are on a poor run of form at the moment, having failed to win any of their last six games.

Romelu Lukaku has struggled for goals this campaign, hitting just three league goals, and missed a couple of chances during the 1-1 draw with Salernitana on Friday.

"Last year we won 5-0 [against Salernitana] and maybe we didn't play as well as that on Friday," said Inter boss Simone Inzaghi.

"In the first half alone we had four shots on goal and scored three, this time we had more than twenty and scored one. We know where we were wrong, there are always criticisms."

Lukaku starts on the bench tonight.

Image source, Getty Images

Wild that Benfica had to come through qualifying to make this season's Champions League. They've since defeated Juventus twice, held Paris St-Germain twice and progressed to the last-eight despite selling Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea mid-season for £107m.

They're looking to become the first Portuguese team to reach the Champions League final since Porto back in 2004.

Image source, Getty Images

You would not know this was a Benfica team who sold over £200m worth of talent this season.

First it was star striker Darwin Nunez to Liverpool for a fee of between £64m and £85m - and then midfielder Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea for £107m. More than 30 other players have left the club this season.

And yet under German journeyman manager Roger Schmidt, they look almost unbeatable.

In 46 games in all competitions since appointing the former PSV boss in the summer they have only lost twice - however one of them was on Friday at home to Porto.

They finished top of a Champions League group involving PSG and Juventus, picking up 13 points more than the Italians - and then blew away Club Bruges in the last 16, costing Scott Parker his job.

They are seven points clear of Porto at the top of the Portuguese league as they close in on a first trophy since 2019.

Only Italian teams stand between them and a first European Cup final since 1990, with the winner of their tie against Inter playing AC Milan or Napoli in the semi-finals.

Karen Bardsley
Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think the thing I really like about Muller is he's such a wise player in the way he interprets space. It's like he's already thinking three steps ahead. I was a little bit surprised to see Musiala starting ahead of him.

You think they've got Mane on the bench as well and the danger from Cancelo as well so that will be a really interesting duel.