Manchester City are looking to beat Sporting CP tonight and bounce back from the weekend defeat to Bournemouth.
Manchester City fell to defeat for the first time in the Premier League on Saturday, with the Cherries winning 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium.
City put in a disjointed performance on the south coast, but Bournemouth fully deserved to win the game.
Pep Guardiola is now seeking a response. But he faces a very tough opponent in Sporting CP under Ruben Amorim, who will soon join Manchester United.
Sporting have been free-scoring this season, hitting 35 in the league and conceding just three.
It could be a stern test, but one player who will be up for the challenge is Stefan Ortega.
Stefan Ortega to start for Man City against Sporting
Had it not been for Ederson on Saturday, City could have suffered a pretty embarrassing defeat.
Bournemouth created several chances in the game, and City’s Brazilian stopper kept his side in the contest.
But despite another strong performance from Ederson, he will be rotated for tonight’s Champions League clash with Sporting. As has been the case for the previous three League Phase matches.
Guardiola told reporters yesterday (via mancity.com): “Yes. (Stefan Ortega Moreno will play tomorrow)… In a lot of positions, we need double, or triple the players…
“Stefan [Ortega Moreno] made a great save against Spurs and has done well in Champions League games, but Ederson has made great saves and helped us win games.”
Ortega has already played against Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague, and the German was also between the sticks for the Carabao Cup games with Watford and Tottenham Hotspur.
Ortega deserves start v Sporting
It might have tempted Guardiola to play Ederson against Sporting tonight, because the Brazilian has been in great form in recent weeks.
Sporting have been free-scoring, and they may well create some good opportunities tonight against City.
| Stefan Ortega for Man City |
| Appearances – 38 |
| Clean sheets – 19 |
| Goals conceded – 30 |
| Transfer fee – £0 |
But £90,000-a-week man Ortega is getting the nod from his manager, and it will be nice to see him start again. He kept lean sheets against Slovan and Sparta, although tonight he’ll likely come under more pressure.
With City now out of the Carabao Cup, opportunities are a bit more limited for Ortega.
Fans will back him to do well tonight against Sporting. But the defence must try and provide him with as much protection as possible – certainly, Viktor Gyokeres will test the German if he gets half a chance.
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