Champions League heavyweight contender Manchester City commences its knockout stage play on Wednesday when it goes to Germany to confront U.S. men's national group rising star Weston McKennie and Schalke. City completed as the champ of Group F with a 4-1-1 record and 16 objectives scored. Schalke, in the interim, was 3-2-1 in Group D, completing behind Porto or more Galatasaray and Lokomotiv Moscow.
City's assault goes facing a resistance that demonstrated it could be created at the back however is searching for consistency since the flight of Naldo to AS Monaco in the winter exchange window.
Manchester City: Pep Guardiola's group is all around rested subsequent to pounding Newport County on Saturday in the FA Cup. What's more, the assault is flying high at a urgent piece of the period. City has 10 objectives scored in its last two recreations, however will they field a full-quality side in this one? On Sunday, City faces Chelsea in the League Cup last. The UCL coordinate is surely of higher significance, yet it will intrigue perceive how solid of a group is handled and whether Guardiola chooses to rest anybody.
Schalke: The club is backing into this one, neglecting to win any of its last four Bundesliga diversions. Schalke has scored only one objective in its last three class challenges, yet we can't disregard the achievement of the gathering stage. Notwithstanding scoring only six objectives in six recreations, Schalke won three of them and just lost once, demonstrating it can granulate out outcomes in close experiences. They were a standout amongst the best cautious groups in the gathering stage and should restrict the harm here to get an opportunity.
Manchester City, driven by striker Sergio Aguero, takes on Schalke 04, driven by American midfielder Weston McKennie, in the primary leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 (2/20/19) at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
The English side achieved this phase of the challenge in the wake of completing first in gathering F, in front of Olympique Lyon (France), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) and Hoffenheim (Germany). The Germans completed second in gathering D, behind FC Porto (Portugal) and in front of Galatasaray (Turkey) and Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia).
Man City was given a thoughtful draw against a Schalke side unmistakably battling in its second season under mentor Domenico Tedesco.
Saturday's 0-0 draw at home against Freiburg was characteristic of the Gelsenkirchen-based group's season to date – an ugly round of few shots with midfielder Suat Serdar sent off before the split for a studs-up test.
Schalke has won just six of its 22 class recreations up until now and mulls in fourteenth spot in the 18-group standings. It could yet be drawn into a transfer battle before the season is out.
The difference could barely be more noteworthy.
City, in its Premier League title protection, is in front of Liverpool at the best on objective distinction.
Mentor Pep Guardiola had the advantage of resting some driving players on Saturday for the FA Cup prevail upon fourth-level side Newport. Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva were not gathered from the seat and Sergio Aguero had the evening off totally.
The group was back in preparing on Sunday in front of the outing to Germany.
An European trophy has escaped City since the Abu Dhabi takeover 11 years prior, with the elimination rounds the farthest the group has advanced in the Champions League.