Champions League | League Stage

Oct 23, 2024 at 8pm UK

Etihad Stadium

Man City vsSparta Prague

Match preview

Man City extended their unbeaten run in all competitions in the 2024-25 season to 12 matches and remain the only Premier League team yet to lose this season after beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 at Molineux on Sunday.

The Citizens, who dominated the game with almost 80% of possession, 22 shots and 18 corners, had to come from behind to claim maximum points, with Josko Gvardiol's stunning 20-yard strike cancelling out Jorgen Strand Larsen's early opener before John Stones' dramatic header in the 95th minute.

Pep Guardiola's side reached a new club record of 31 Premier League matches unbeaten (W25 D6) with the win, and they will have the chance to etch their name into Champions League folklore when they travel to Sparta Prague on Wednesday.

Indeed, if Man City can avoid defeat against the Maroons, they will set a new record for the longest unbeaten run in European Cup/Champions League history. The Citizens are currently on a 25-match unbeaten run (W17 D8), scoring 64 goals and conceding just 18 in the process, with their most recent victory coming three weeks ago in Slovakia when they thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0.

The 2023 UCL winners, who will also surpass Real Madrid's 32-match unbeaten run at home in 1990 if they avoid defeat on Wednesday, have only faced one Czech side in their history, beating Viktoria Pilsen 3-0 away and 4-2 at home in the group stages of the 2013-14 Champions League.

Competing in the Champions League for the first time in almost two decades, Sparta Prague have made a surprising yet impressive start to the league phase of this season's expanded competition, taking four points from their opening two games.

After overcoming Shamrock Rovers, FCSB and Malmo in the qualifying rounds, the Maroons secured a 3-0 home win over Red Bull Salzburg on the opening day before holding Bundesliga side Stuttgart to a 1-1 draw in Germany three weeks ago.

That draw came in between two defeats in the Czech top flight, but they returned to winning ways on Saturday when they defeated Slovan Liberec 2-1 at home thanks to goals from Tomas Wiesner and Lukas Haraslin, the latter coming off the bench to score in the 79th minute.

Lars Friis' side, who won a record-extending 35th Czech top-flight title last season, currently sit second in the standings on 25 points after 11 games, three behind leaders Slavia Prague - who have a game in hand - and one ahead of third-placed Viktoria Pilsen, who they face on Sunday.

Sparta's first Champions League test will come against Man City, who will be the ninth different English side they have faced in European competition. The Maroons have won just four of their 22 previous encounters with English clubs, most recently losing 11-2 to Liverpool in the last 16 of last season's Europa League.

Recent Performance

Manchester City Champions League form:DW

Manchester City form (all competitions):DWDWWW

Sparta Prague Champions League form:DWWWWD

Sparta Prague form (all competitions):WWLDLW

Injuries and suspensions

Manchester City

16 Rodri

17 Kevin De Bruyne

52 Oscar Bobb

Sparta Prague

33 Elias Cobbaut

3 Imanol García de Albéniz

Possible starting lineups

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Gundogan, Nunes; Bernardo, Foden, Grealish; Haaland

Sparta Prague possible starting lineup:

Vindahl; Vitik, Panak, Zeleny; Preciado, Kairinen, Laci, Wiesner; Birmancevic, Rrahmani, Haraslin