In an unexpected turn of events, Manchester City had to make a last-minute change to their lineup for the Champions League match against Young Boys. Originally, Manuel Akanji was slated to start, but he decided to conclude the warm-up prematurely, and his place was taken by Kyle Walker.
Initially, it was reported that the Swiss international, Akanji, wasn’t feeling well. However, Pep Guardiola, the City manager, clarified after their 3-0 victory that Akanji was, in fact, dealing with a back injury.
The stakes were high for City in their Group G match, as they needed a win to secure their spot in the knockout rounds with two games remaining.
There were concerns about Erling Haaland’s fitness following his early exit in the previous Saturday’s match against Bournemouth due to a knock. Despite these concerns, Haaland was included in the starting lineup.
In a strategic move, Rodri was given a break and began the match on the bench, with Rico Lewis taking his place in the midfield.
This unexpected alteration to the lineup brought an element of uncertainty to City’s crucial Champions League encounter. Initially, the plan was for Akanji to start, but his decision to cut short his warm-up raised questions about his condition. Guardiola’s subsequent revelation about Akanji’s back injury shed light on the situation.
For Manchester City, securing a victory was imperative in their pursuit of advancing to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
With two matches left in the group, they needed to secure their passage without any hiccups. Despite doubts surrounding Erling Haaland’s fitness due to a recent injury concern, he was deemed fit to start in this important fixture.
A notable tactical adjustment for the match was the decision to rest Rodri, a key figure in City’s midfield. Instead, Rico Lewis was given the opportunity to take his place, indicating Guardiola’s intention to manage the workload of his players.
