Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Manchester City
- What: Champions League group F matchday three
- When: Tuesday 23 October
- Where: Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv, Ukraine
- Kick-off: 8pm (UK time)
- TV channel: live on BT Sport 3
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his team will do everything they can to win this season’s Champions League, but warns that they may not yet be ready to lift Europe’s premier piece of silverware.
Guardiola’s side went into the competition as the bookies’ favourites, but lost their opening group F clash 2-1 at home to Lyon. After winning 2-1 in Germany against Hoffenheim on matchday two City are now second in the group.
Speaking in Ukraine ahead of the clash against Shakhtar Donetsk tonight, Guardiola told the BBC: “We are going to put in all effort to win this competition, but from what I saw last season we are not ready, that’s what I feel.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“That doesn’t mean we are not going to try. It’s one important thing to win this kind of title, you have to be pushed - not just by the manager, by everyone surrounding Manchester City that we have to win it. And still we don’t have that feeling, the feeling that the fans are pushing that we have to win the Champions League.”
Gundogan: only the greats win the UCL
Ilkay Gundogan says that if this current City team are to be considered as one of the greats then they must win the Uefa Champions League (UCL).
City won last season’s Premier League title with a record 100 points but in the Champions League they were beaten in the quarter-finals 5-1 on aggregate by English rivals Liverpool.
Speaking to ESPN, the German said: “The Champions League is, in terms of club football, the most prestigious one. And if you don’t win it you will never be named one of the greatest teams, no chance.
“So that’s what you have to achieve. It will not make the last season worse, it will still be special and a lot of positive and nice memories in our minds. But when you ask me how to be remembered as one of the greatest teams I think it’s a fact to win the Champions League.”
Team news and starting XIs
City midfielder Gundogan is sidelined with a hamstring injury so will miss the group F clash tonight. Full-back Danilo is also unavailable after injuring his ankle on international duty for Brazil.
However, England defender Kyle Walker has travelled to Ukraine and is in contention to play after recovering from a groin injury. And Goal.com reports that Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne could start after coming on as a substitute in Saturday’s 5-0 win against Burnley.
For Shakhtar, Brazilian winger Taison is out after he ruptured knee ligaments. Attacking midfielder Marlos, defender Ivan Ordets, forward Dentinho and left-back Ismaily are also injury doubts.
Starting XIs and formations
How the teams could line up tonight at the Metalist Stadium:
- Shakhtar Donetsk (4-2-3-1): Pyatov; Ismaily, Rakitskiy, Khotcholav, Butko; Stepanenko, Maycon; Bolbat, Patrick, Marlos; Moraes
- Man City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Kompany, Laporte, Mendy; B. Silva, Fernandinho, D. Silva; Sterling, Jesus, Sane
Champions League fixtures and TV guide
Tuesday 23 October (all times UK)
- Group E: AEK Athens vs. Bayern Munich (5.55pm, live on BT Sport 1); Ajax vs. Benfica (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra 2)
- Group F: Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Manchester City (8pm, live on BT Sport 3); Hoffenheim vs. Lyon (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra 4)
- Group G: Real Madrid vs. Viktoria Plzen (8pm, live on BT Sport ESPN); Roma vs. CSKA Moscow (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra 3)
- Group H: Young Boys vs. Valencia (5.55pm, live on BT Sport ESPN); Manchester United vs. Juventus (8pm, live on BT Sport 2)
Wednesday 24 October
- Group A: Club Brugge vs. Monaco (5.55pm, live on BT Sport 1); Borussia Dortmund vs. Atletico Madrid (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra 2)
- Group B: PSV Eindhoven vs. Tottenham (5.55pm, live on BT Sport 3); Barcelona vs. Inter Milan (8pm, live on BT Sport ESPN)
- Group C: Liverpool vs. Red Star Belgrade (8pm, live on BT Sport 2); Paris Saint-Germain vs. Napoli (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra 3)
- Group D: Galatasaray vs. Schalke (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra 4); Lokomotiv Moscow vs. Porto (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra)
-
What to know before turning to AI for financial advicethe explainer It can help you crunch the numbers — but it might also pocket your data
-
Book reviews: 'The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction—and a Search for Relief' and 'Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run'Feature The search for a headache cure and revisiting Springsteen's 'Born to Run' album on its 50th anniversary
-
Keith McNally' 6 favorite books that have ambitious charactersFeature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
-
Crisis? What crisis? How Lionesses made the Euros final against the oddsAmid injuries and questions about form, England's women are one step away from glory
-
The 'Swiss model' shaking up the Champions LeagueIn the Spotlight Uefa says the new format offers 'greater excitement' but critics say boredom is guaranteed
-
The wit and wisdom of Sven-Göran ErikssonIn Depth The first foreign coach to manage England on football, life and death
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
-
The European Super League: a 90th-minute reprieve?In the Spotlight A European court ruling has potentially breathed new life into the breakaway football league
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden bootfeature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
-
‘Genuine visionary’: is Pep Guardiola the greatest of all time?feature Spaniard has now won two trebles following Man City’s Champions League triumph
-
Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter predictions and previewfeature Can Guardiola’s team finally win the Champions League and complete a historic treble?
