City hope to end unwanted Champions League run against Villarreal
Villarreal v Manchester City preview
Manchester City hope to overcome an unwelcome Champions League streak when they travel to Spain for this clash with Villarreal.
Pep Guardiola’s side have gone without a win in their last five away games in the competition, while their hosts are still seeking their first victory of this season’s tournament.
They have four points from their opening two games after beating Napoli 2-0 in the Champions League opener, before a 2-2 draw away to Monaco.
City team news
Man City boss Guardiola is working with a strengthened squad for the trip to Villarreal, as left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri has made the flight and might be in with a chance of featuring following an ankle injury.
However, Abdukodir Khusanov's similar concern will sideline the Uzbekistan international for a little while longer, while Rodri is also not expected back from his hamstring problem before the end of the month.
The tight turnaround should see Guardiola ponder a few changes for Tuesday's game, where Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki could play their first Champions League minutes of the season after recovering from injuries.
A closer look at the opposition
Under Marcelino, Villarreal have made a strong start to their La Liga campaign, but they go into the midweek fixture without a win in their last two matches. They lost 3-1 to Real Madrid before the international break and drew 2-2 with Real Betis at the weekend. Despite this, the Yellow Submarine remain third in the La Liga table.
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| Villareal v Real Betis |
They will hope their Champions League campaign gained momentum from Renato Veiga’s late header against Juventus earlier this month, which secured a point after they were narrowly beaten by Tottenham Hotspur in the opening group-stage match.
History between the sides
They met in the old-style group stage in the 2011/2012 competition. In the fixture held in Spain, two Yaya Touré goals, either side of a Mario Balotelli penalty, gave City a comfortable 3-0 win.
Key stats
Manchester City have won just four of their 14 away matches against Spanish sides in the UEFA Champions League, a 29% success rate, with three draws and seven defeats. Their only poorer record against teams from a single nation in the competition is against French opponents, where they have won 25% of eight away games.
Pep Guardiola has never lost to Villarreal in his managerial career, facing them eight times with five wins and three draws. The only Spanish sides he has played more often without defeat are Athletic Club, 14 matches, and Valencia, ten.
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