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Manchester City start their Champions League title defence at home to Red Star Belgrade this evening. Pep Guardiola\u2019s side have won all five of the Premier League matches this season and are in terrific form ahead of this European top-flight opener. <\/p>\n
Last season, they finally lifted the trophy they most coveted, the Champions League, following a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the final and now they will be hoping to emulate Real Madrid by regaining it in consecutive seasons. They also became only the second English club to win the treble and it remains to be seen if anyone can stop them repeating that feat this time around. <\/p>\n
Red Star Belgrade are currently third in the Serbian SuperLiga but should pose no real threat to Guardiola\u2019s men who will want to lay down a statement victory tonight. <\/p>\n
Follow all the action from this Champions League clash at the Etihad Stadium. Plus you can get all the latest football <\/em>betting sites<\/em><\/u> offers here.<\/em><\/p>\n Manchester City hand a first start to Matheus Nunes for their Champions League opener against Red Star. Sergio Gomez and Nathan Ake also come into the team that defeated West Ham 3-1 on Saturday, while Manuel Akanji, Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku drop out. <\/p>\n Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Gomez, Rodri, Bernardo, Nunes, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland<\/p>\n Subs: <\/em>Ortega Moreno, Carson, Phillips, Doku, Gvardiol, Akanji, Bobb, Lewis<\/p>\n As part of his media duties in the build-up to tonight\u2019s match, Kyle Walker explained his decision to stay at Manchester City and sign another contract extension. <\/p>\n \u201cWhy should I want to leave this great team?\u201d said Walker when asked why he decided to stay at City, \u201cFor me it was just about the years [on the contract]. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m 33 years young and I still feel great. For me it was about settling in, I didn\u2019t really want to sign another year to then have this conversation again next year. I wanted to be settled not just for me but for my family as well.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel that now I am settled, you see in the performances that I don\u2019t have it in the back of my mind because it does play on your mind where you know you\u2019ve got a little bit of uncertainty.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to stay at this Club for as long as possible because why would I leave a team that\u2019s gone on and won three Premier Leagues in a row, a Treble and a Champions League?<\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019d have left in the summer I don\u2019t go and score the winning penalty at the Super Cup and lift that. It\u2019s working out so far but it\u2019s early days.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing\u2019s decided at this moment in time in the Premier League or any other competition and we need to make sure that, as we are nine times out of 10, there into the later stages.\u201d<\/p>\n TNT Sports\u2019 football coverage will be led by four female presenters this season as it seeks to \u201cpush the boundaries\u201d of sports broadcasting.<\/p>\n TNT Sports is the new name for the channel formerly known as BT Sport, with Laura Woods confirmed as host of its Champions League coverage alongside Reshmin Chowdhury. Jake Humphrey, who fronted BT\u2019s Champions League coverage last season, stepped back from his role in May.<\/p>\n Lynsey Hipgrave will continue to host live Premier League coverage on TNT Sports, having done so since the start of last season, while Jules Breach has replaced Des Kelly as the broadcaster\u2019s pitchside reporter.<\/p>\n TNT Sports has replaced BT Sport and will be the home of Champions League football in the UK this season <\/p>\n Red Star won last season\u2019s Serbian title without losing a game, but they changed managers this summer and have lost two of their last three games under Barak Bakhar.<\/p>\n As Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup in Doha, Kylian Mbappe was \u201clivid\u201d. It of course wasn\u2019t because of his former team-mate\u2019s success. It was that Mbappe had missed his only chance to emulate Pele and win two World Cup finals by the age of 23. The Paris Saint-Germain star is said to be more aware of his legacy than perhaps any previous major player in history \u2013 certainly much more than Erling Haaland.<\/p>\n It is why he is now so singularly focused on the Champions League. That\u2019s why he ultimately wants to go to Real Madrid. Watching Haaland lift it in June will have only added to that, all the more so because the Manchester City forward clearly doesn\u2019t care quite <\/em>as much. That isn\u2019t to say he didn\u2019t greatly want it, of course, but it\u2019s one growing difference with Mbappe.<\/p>\n The Norwegian said only last week he didn\u2019t care for that projected rivalry, either, and that might well be true. Those differences between Haaland and Mbappe will still define the next decade of football in the same way those between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did the last decade.<\/p>\n In the first Champions League in a generation without either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, Haaland and Mbappe can fill the void as the clear new stars of the current game <\/p>\n Manchester City tend to come flying out of the blocks in the Champions League group stages as Pep Guardiola looks to win enough games to qualify for the knockout rounds as soon as possible. The City boss says this year will be no different. <\/p>\n “Every season we start the competition in the first game with the target to win the first game, then the group stage, then try to win the Champions League,” said Guardiola on Monday.<\/p>\n “Nothing changes from before.<\/p>\n “The same for Red Star tomorrow [Tuesday]. It depends on our performance and our level. We\u2019re incredibly happy to defend this crown but this competition doesn\u2019t allow you mistakes.<\/p>\n “But always we were so strong at home, nine points from nine. When that happens you can win just one game away and you qualify. Tomorrow is the first step.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Manchester City will be without John Stones, Jack Grealish, Mateo Kovacic and Kevin De Bruyne when they open their Champions League defence against Red Star Belgrade tonight.<\/p>\n All four are injured with defender Stones not playing since the Community Shield, midfielder Grealish suffering a knock before the international break. Kovacic was then injured while on Croatia duty and De Bruyne is out long term. <\/p>\n Can City cope without them?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Newcastle United face a brutally tough draw on their return to the Champions League after being dropped in group F with Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.<\/p>\n Manchester United are up against Harry Kane\u2019s Bayern Munich in group A along with Turkish champions Galatasaray, and new striker Rasmus Hojlund will also face his old side Copenhagen.<\/p>\n Arsenal will play Europa League champions Sevilla as well as PSV Eindhoven and Lens, while holders Manchester City will take on RB Leipzig, Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade.<\/p>\n Holders Manchester City are joined by Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle and Celtic in the group stage of the Champions League <\/p>\n Red Star can be difficult opponents in the Champions League, but usually only at their home ground and they are likely to struggle to impose themselves against City. <\/p>\n They will try to utilise a vocal travelling support, but will be unable to stop the home side.<\/p>\nRecommended<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nTeam news! <\/h3>\n
Kyle Walker staying at City<\/h3>\n
Who are TNT Sports\u2019 Champions League presenters, commentators and pundits?<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/07\/18\/00\/17151016-88606d04-fa51-49cd-ae74-150e27433c07.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWho are TNT Sports\u2019 Champions League presenters, commentators and pundits? <\/h3>\n
Man City vs Red Star Belgrade<\/h3>\n
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland begin new Champions League rivarly after Messi-Ronaldo era<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nMbappe and Haaland begin new Champions League rivarly after Messi-Ronaldo era<\/h3>\n
Guardiola on winning the first Champions League game<\/h3>\n
Injuries plaguing Pep<\/h3>\n
Champions League 2023\/24: Schedule, groups, fixtures and match dates<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/09\/18\/18\/GettyImages-1497701532.jpg\")
<\/p>\nUEFA Champions League 2023\/24 schedule – every game in the group stage<\/h3>\n
Man City vs Red Star Belgrade prediction<\/h3>\n