If the first leg was anything to go by, Manchester City’s midweek meeting with Monaco should provide goals in abundance. The pair are in good goalscoring form, with Monaco scoring in every home game this season, while their Premier League counterparts have failed to find the back of the net just once in their last five competitive outings. Indeed, goals are the order of the day, with the absence of Kamil Glik in particular set to add to the occasion in that regard.
The Polish powerhouse is suspended for the welcome of City and while Jemerson’s return from a ban of his own is a boost, Glik’s unavailability hinders Monaco’s chances of progression. A summer arrival from Torino, the 29-year-old took to his new surroundings like a duck to water, ranking top for clearances per game (8.3) of all Monaco players in the Champions League this season. This knack of being in the right place at the right time to alleviate danger on the Monaco goal is a boost to the French giants and will undeniably affect their chances of progression.
What’s more is that the calmness and composure he exudes throughout the defence has a positive impact at the back. Glik has been dribbled past just the once in six Champions League outings this term and rather than rely on last ditch tackles to deny the opposition, he instead maximises his commendable reading of the game to ease pressure at the back, noted in that he is averaging 2 interceptions per Champions League match this season, one of the better returns for Jardim’s side.
While Jemerson is a handy stand in for Glik, the likelihood of Andrea Raggi featuring at centre-back for Monaco tonight should be cause for concern. As solid as the 32-year-old can be, he has struggled in his two Champions League starts at centre-back, where Monaco have conceded eight goals; three away at Bayer Leverkusen and five at Manchester City. His expected appearance at the back should have City rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of running Raggi ragged.
Pep Guardiola’s side may have the upper hand ahead of Wednesday’s tie with their two-goal advantage, but with Monaco in such fine freescoring form, the Ligue 1 leaders are expected to trouble the leaky City defence. In that instance, it could prove crucial for the City attack to bail out the backline, much as they did in the first leg.
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"We will adjust some things, they will adjust some things but we have to
score goals. If we don’t score a goal in Monaco we will be eliminated.”
(Pep Guardiola)
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With Sergio Aguero, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling running at the Monaco defence, and the ammunition provided by David Silva, City’s frontline has the means to put the hosts’ backline to the sword. The immediate danger would have been lessened had Glik of course been available to continue his defensive partnership with Jemerson, but the City offensive should score the necessary goals to fire them into the next round of the Champions League, which could prove vital come full time considering Monaco’s ruthless attack.
Glik’s early booking in the first leg may have been swept under the carpet following the plethora of goals, but his absence from tonight’s meeting with City could ultimately prove to be a costly one.
