Celtic vs Manchester City. UEFA Champions League Group C.
Celtic ParkAttendance57,592.
Wednesday 28 September 2016 20:09, UK
Nolito could return to the Manchester City side when they travel to Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
The Spaniard is currently serving a three-game domestic ban but could return to the starting XI for the European clash.
Pep Guardiola is yet to taste defeat as manager at the Etihad and City beat Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 in their opening group game after a 24-hour rain delay.
Celtic suffered a 7-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in their opening fixture but manager Brendan Rodgers is looking for an improved showing this week.
"We won't be as passive as we were in the last game. Apart from [Barcelona] we have been really aggressive in our game," the Hoops manager said his pre-match press conference.
"It has been three years since the club was in the Champions League playing that level of opponent. Most importantly was to learn from it. Once you're in the Champions League consistently that gives you the belief.
"Celtic Park, traditionally, is a very difficult place to come and play. You have 60,000 supporters backing us. We've only lost three in 24 Champions League group games so it shows how difficult it is here, but we appreciate it will be tough."
Nolito could take the place of the injured Kevin De Bruyne, who is still waiting for the results of a scan after suffering a hamstring injury at the weekend, while Vincent Kompany remains sidelined.
Fabian Delph is also expected to be missing for City after he was absent from training on Tuesday, with Guardiola otherwise having a full compliment of players to call upon.
Four of Celtic's current crop have previously worn the blue of City, with Kolo Toure, Scott Sinclair and Patrick Roberts - who is currently on loan from City at the Glasgow club - all in line to feature although Dedryck Boyata will miss out.
Craig Gordon will play in goal after replacing Dorus de Vries for the second half of the weekend's 6-1 win over Kilmarnock with latter not 100 per cent fit after a chest knock, but star striker Leigh Griffiths is set to fight for his place against the in-form Moussa Dembele.
We analyse the impact of European ties on clubs' subsequent Premier League games.
Manchester City will be the second English side Celtic have faced in the Champions League having played Manchester United in the group stages in 2006/07 and 2008/09 (W1 D1 L2).
Celtic will come up against Pep Guardiola for the first time in Europe; despite having faced Barcelona nine times in the Champions League they did not meet during the Spaniard's tenure.
Brendan Rodgers has won just one of his seven Champions League games, with his side scoring five and conceding 16 in those seven matches.
Celtic have lost three of their last four home games in the Champions League
City have only tasted defeat once in their last five Champions League group games played away from home (W3 D1).
City have won seven of their last nine Champions League group stage games, scoring 20 times in those seven victories.
Celtic conceded seven goals in a European game for the first time in their history in their opening game of this season's competition.
This is City's sixth consecutive Champions League participation. They have made it past the last 16 only once, it was in 2015/16 when they reached the semi-finals (knocked out by Real Madrid).
Sergio Aguero has recorded hat-tricks in his two Champions League appearances this season (including qualifiers).
I covered Man City at the weekend and I'm not feeling good about Celtic's chances, even with Kevin De Bruyne out and a special atmosphere behind my old team.
Celtic will be driven on by the crowd and it is a fantastic place on these European nights, but I can't see that bothering Pep Guardiola's team and it will even spur them on because they're a big-time team.
However, City weren't great defensively against Swansea, who could have scored more than once, so I think there's a chance of Celtic scoring, and I can also see them having a decent amount of possession.
However, with the form Raheem Sterling is in, scoring an absolutely brilliant individual goal against Swansea, and the way Sergio Aguero is playing in such control of everything he does, I fear that Celtic's lack of pace at the back will be exposed.
Charlie predicts: 1-3 and Aguero to score (18/1 with Sky Bet)
Celtic are up against odds of 8/1 with Sky Bet and 9/2 just to secure a draw, with Manchester City just 1/3 to leave with all three points.
Guardiola's men are currently considered 9/1 fourth favourites to win the Champions League, while their hosts are given the longest odds of those in the competition at 2,500/1.
Aguero heads the first goalscorer betting at 9/4, while Griffiths is considered the Hoops' main threat, enhanced from 9/1 to 10/1 to break the deadlock in Sky Bet's Price Boosts.
