Manchester City will be looking to banish the memory of a chastening Champions League night when newly-promoted Ipswich Town visit the Etihad Stadium this weekend, with Enzo Maresca expected to freshen up his starting line-up for the visit of the Tractor Boys.
City were given a footballing lesson by European champions Paris St-Germain in midweek. They were three goals behind inside the opening 30 minutes before a spirited second-half fightback, inspired by two Erling Haaland goals, fell agonisingly short in a 4-2 defeat at the Etihad.Â
The result ended City’s eight-match unbeaten run and handed Maresca his first major loss since replacing Pep Guardiola in the summer.
Despite the manner of the defeat, the Italian insisted afterwards that his side were not far off the level required to compete with the continent’s best.
“I think we are there, my feeling is we are close,” Maresca said, adding that his side had done enough in the second half to deserve more from the contest.
He also pointed to the chaotic start as the turning point in the tie, explaining that City had conceded twice in the space of two minutes, which “created some problems” for his side.
Maresca to withdraw two big names as City reshuffle line-upÂ
Gianluigi Donnarumma is expected to continue in goal having been part of a defence breached four times by PSG, while Matheus Nunes and Abdukodir Khusanov are tipped to come back into the side after impressing when introduced in midweek.
Marc Guéhi and Joško Gvardiol are expected to retain their places at the heart of defence, giving City a settled look at the back as they attempt to tighten up defensively against less exalted opposition.
In midfield, Maresca could hand a first Premier League start to Ayyoub Bouaddi alongside Enzo Fernández, rewarding the teenager for a promising cameo off the bench against the French champions.
Further forward, Antoine Semenyo is tipped to make way for Iliman Ndiaye, while Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and Haaland are all expected to keep their places as City chase a seventh consecutive Premier League victory of the campaign.
Despite the midweek setback, the City boss was keen to stress the lessons his team could take forward rather than dwell on the scoreline.
“From tonight’s game, we can learn many things,” he said, before adding that facing a team of PSG’s quality was something he relished. “I really like to play against PSG to be honest,” Maresca reflected, praising the French side’s aggressive pressing and ability to move the ball quickly.
The manager also used his pre-match media duties to look ahead to Saturday’s fixture, framing the quick turnaround as an opportunity rather than a burden.
“It’s a chance for us [to bounce back],” he told City TV, while acknowledging the challenge posed by opponents who have had a full week to recover.
“It’s going to be a tough game because they have all week to recover their energy and prepare the game. We need to manage some players but again we need to continue our run and try to win on Saturday.”
Ipswich arrive at the Etihad on the back of a win over Fulham and will provide a stern defensive test for a City side eager to atone for their European disappointment.
Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 BST, with Maresca’s men aiming to move further clear at the top of the Premier League table.
