UEFA Champions League Play-offs

Manchester City to confirm their Group Stage place

Manchester City have all but confirmed their Group Stage place as they won the first leg 0-5 turning the match at Etihad into a formality.

By Richard Downing

After winning the first leg with a comfortable 0-5, City can take a lighter approach on the return fixture.

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Steaua will hope to salvage some pride at Etihad after they drew their weekend Liga I fixture against the city rivals Dinamo (1-1) and are currently trailing behind them one point in the championship (although having a game to spare). Champions League won’t probably be grieved after so long in Romania as the club will turn their attention towards the consolation Europa League prize, but, before that, they have an encounter in England to play.

Guardiola started off his City campaign well enough – six points out of six in the Premier League and the result in Romania are enough to satisfy fans with the Catalan looking to bring in his recognizable style and success to Etihad. Sergio Aguero is looking dangerously good – well, to be fair, he always did – and despite still having flaws in execution, we can clearly see what Pep’s plans in City are.

Heavy rotations are not expected for the hosts – some players could get a deserved rest but it’s likely Guardiola will try to use every opportunity to raise the team cohesion and make the players understand him more.

Head to Head:

The first leg in Romania was the clubs’ first meeting in UEFA competition. The result was the Citizens’ biggest away victory in UEFA competition and Steaua’s heaviest home reverse. Steaua’s 19 games against English teams have ended W5 D4 L10 (W5 D2 L3 at home – W0 D2 L7 in England).

Match facts:

  • Manchester City’s 5-0 win in the first leg qualifier equalled their biggest ever European win (also 5-0 v Lierse in 1969/70 Cup Winners’ Cup and 5-0 v The New Saints in 2003/04 UEFA Cup qualifying).
  • City’s 5-0 advantage is the biggest first leg lead recorded since the introduction of the Champions League playoff round in 2009/10.
  • The Citizens have won all three of their previous games against Romanian opposition, scoring eight and conceding none.
  • Steaua Bucharest have lost their last four games against English sides, failing to score in the last three.
  • Steaua have played in England on nine previous occasions in European competition, losing seven and drawing twice. Their highest profile trip on English soil was in the UEFA Cup semi-final v Middlesbrough in April 2006, losing 4-2 on the night.
  • Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick in the first leg, but also missed two penalties. The last player to miss two spotkicks in a Champions League qualifier before him was Ivica Vrdoljak for Legia Warsaw v Celtic in July 2014.

Team news:

Goalkeeper Joe Hart will likely start – although the England international is yet to make an appearance this season and has been told by new boss Pep Guardiola he can leave the club if he wants.

City full-back Bacary Sagna has been ruled out as the Franch remains sidelined with the knock that kept him out of Saturday’s Premier League win at Stoke City.

Captain Vincent Kompany and new signings Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane are back in training but not yet match fit. Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Eliaquim Mangala are not registered for the tie.

As for the visitors, Mihai Pintilii and Lucian Filip remain sidelined, and are joined by Bojan Golubovic and Alin Tosca.

Man City vs Steaua Bucuresti

Date: 24 Aug 2016

Time: 20:45 CET (19:45 BST)

Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England

Referee: Pawel Gil (POL)