Crucial occasions
Nick Ames
The expectation is that Manchester Town, assuming they shake off their domestic malaise and beat Urawa Crimson Diamonds in the semi-last on Tuesday, will develop into the competition’s 11th successive European winner. Substantially of the subtext about this month’s occasion, although, has included the shifting of power elsewhere.
A enjoyable shot of King Abdullah Sporting activities City Stadium, tonight’s location. Absolutely not Bootham Crescent.
This is all a very lengthy way from Bootham Crescent. Will Unwin charts the rise of Manchester Metropolis from the club’s cheapest issue, 25 a long time back …
Team news
Four alterations for Metropolis, with Stones, Akanji, Kovacic and Nunes coming into the beginning facet. Phil Foden performs up leading on his personal with Grealish, Nunes and Silva powering. It smells of plans …
Urawa Reds: Nishikawa Sekine, Scholz, Hoibraten, Akimoto, Ito, Iwao, Okubo, Yasui, Koizumi, Martinez. Substitutes: Niekawa, Yoshida, Sakai, Iwanami, Ogiwara, Ayumu, Nakajima, Shibato, Panya, Linssen, Schalk, Koroki.
Manchester Town (4-2-3-1): Ederson Ake, Akanji, Stones, Walker (capt.) Rodri, Kovacic Grealish, Nunes, Bernardo Silva Foden. Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Dias, Phillips, Alvarez, Gomez, Gvardiol, Bobb, Alleyne, Susoho, Lewis, Hamilton
Our #ClubWC line-up! 🩵
XI | Ederson, Walker (C), Stones, Akanji, Ake, Rodrigo, Kovacic, Nunes, Bernardo, Grealish, Foden
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Dias, Phillips, Alvarez, Gomez, Gvardiol, Bobb, Alleyne, Susoho, Lewis, Hamilton#ManCity pic.twitter.com/Dz7dupgSGn
— Manchester Town (@ManCity) December 19, 2023
Preamble
Manchester City gained the lot final year – Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup – but getting club planet champions in Saudi Arabia this week would complete the whole set pursuing their all-conquering 2022-23 marketing campaign.
Less than typical situation this semi-final from Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, who edged past León of Mexico to get to this place, is a match Pep Guardiola’s aspect would method with cast-iron self-confidence. But City’s new form has been alternatively fewer than all-conquering and their Japanese opponents may well extravagant staging an upset against a aspect held to a attract by Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Town have gained just at the time in 6 Leading League games, have gone eight matches without having a clean up sheet adhering to the 2-2 attract with Palace, and are of training course with out Erling Haaland who is recovering from a foot damage. Will this be a self-confidence-boosting stroll into Friday’s closing, where Fluminense await, or an anxiousness-inducing battle for Pep and his players? We are about to find out.
Kick-off: 6pm GMT