Napoli vs Manchester City - as it happened: Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling seal victory for the visitors
Re-live updates from the Champions League
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester City will qualify for the Champions League knockout stages if they win at Napoli on Wednesday night.
In an early season where all of the unprecedented five English clubs involved in the competition have achieved admirably – with not a single game being lost – City have perhaps performed most emphatically, winning all three of their games and conceding a single goal.
Although Pep Guardiola’s side were pushed in the first, home leg of this double-header, with Dries Mertens missing a penalty that could have salvaged a point for Napoli, they will remain confident that they can emerge from the cauldron of the Stadio San Paolo with the crucial victory that will guarantee them early passage to the last-16.
The Sky Blues will no doubt take heart from their continued domestic dominance. Despite being pushed hard by a resilient West Brom at the weekend, their fluid attacking football still shows no signs of being stymied and their 3-2 victory extends their unbeaten record to 15, with 14 wins, this season.
Pep Guardiola will also be pleased to have no fresh injury concerns. Eager to get into the knockout rounds at the earliest opportunity, expect the Spaniard to field a strong starting XI this evening.
Indeed, despite their confidence, City will underestimate Napoli at their own peril. Disappointed to not come away from Etihad with at least a draw a fortnight ago, the Partenopei need a win to keep their own hopes of emerging from Group F alive. Following last Sunday’s win over Sassulo, the Italians are cruising at the top of Serie A and will aim to intimidate City into conceding tonight.
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What time does it start?
Napoli vs Manchester City kicks off at 19:45 GMT.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on BT Sport 3 from 19:00. Highlights will be shown at 22:15 on BT Sport 2.
It’s a big game for...
Pepe Reina: The experienced 34-year-old would have been disappointed to concede two in just 20 minutes at the Etihad. Rumoured to have been a transfer target for City in the summer – as an experienced stand-in for Ederson, in place of Claudio Bravo – a confident showing this evening may make this move concrete come January.
Best stat...
844: The amount of passes City completed in their win at West Brom on Saturday – the most ever completed in a Premier League since data started being collected.
Remember when...
A sweet finish from Edinson Cavani after a devastating Napoli counterattack when these two sides met in the group stages in 2011.
Player to watch out for...
Raheem Sterling: Scoring in this fixture at the Etihad a fortnight ago, as well as in last weekend’s triumph at West Brom, the forward now has a tally of 9 competitive goals this season, the highest of any City player.
Past three meetings...
Manchester City 2 (Sterling, Jesus) Napoli 1 (Diawara), Champions League, October 2017
Napoli 2 (Cavani x2) Manchester City 1 (Balotelli), Champions League, November 2011
Manchester City 1 (Kolarov) Napoli 1 (Cavani), Champions League, September 2011
Form guide...
Napoli: WWLDWW
Man City: WWWWDW
Odds...
Napoli: 7/4
Manchester City: 31/21
Draw: 27/10
(Odds provided by 888 Sport)
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of tonight's Champions League action.
Our primary focus here will be Spurs vs Real Madrid at Wembley but we'll also be chucking in regular updates from around Europe as Manchester City take on Napoli in Italy and Liverpool host Maribor at Anfield.
Spurs vs Real Madrid teams confirmed
Spurs starting XI: Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Winks; Eriksen, Dele, Kane
Subs: Vorm, Aurier, Rose, Dembele, Sissoko, Son, Llorente
Madrid starting XI: Casilla; Achraf, Nacho, Ramos, Marcelo; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Isco; Ronaldo, Benzema
Subs: Moha, Vallejo, Theo, Lucas Vazquez, Asensio, B Mayoral, Ceballos
Manchester City and Liverpool teams confirmed
Manchester City starting XI to face Napoli: Ederson; Danilo, Stones, Otamendi, Delph; Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Gündogan; Sané, Sterling; Agüero
Liverpool starting XI to face Maribor: Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Klavan, Moreno; Can, Milner, Wijnaldum; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Firmino
Liverpool put seven past Maribor a couple of weeks ago. Another win tonight will give the Reds' qualification hopes a huge boost.
Besiktas draw with Monaco
Monaco reached the semi-finals last season but they look unlikely to make it out of the groups this time around. They've just drawn 1-1 away to Besiktas in today's early game - a result that keeps them bottom of Group G with just two points from four games.
Rony Lopes opened the scoring for Monaco in Istanbul but Cenk Tosun's second-half penalty for the hosts ensured the match ended as a draw.
Guardiola: We will suffer like never before against Napoli
Manchester City have been irresistible domestically and on the continent this season but they face an acid test of their European credentials in Naples tonight.
This is what Pep Guardiola had to say about his side's chances earlier this week:
“There will be moments to defend, moments when we suffer like never before and I’m going to see how we react.
“Fear? There is no fear. A lot of respect for the way Napoli play, yes, but there should never be fear.”
Tottenham have never beaten Real Madrid
Mauricio Pochettino's men delivered a superb display in the Spanish capital a couple of weeks ago but only got a point to show for it.
Here is how the last (and only) five meetings between Spurs and Real Madrid have ended:
- Real Madrid 1-1 Tottenham, Champions League (October 2017)
- Tottenham 0-1 Real Madrid, Champions League (April 2011)
- Real Madrid 4-0 Tottenham, Champions League (April 2011)
- Real Madrid 0-0 Tottenham, Uefa Cup (March 1985)
- Tottenham 0-1 Real Madrid, Uefa Cup (March 1985)
Zidane: We will have better days
On tonight's match against Spurs: "We're expecting a tough match, just like at the Bernabeu.
"We're ready for this test and it's a fantastic setting for a wonderful match."
On Real Madrid's poor start to the season: "There are always some tough spells and we have had that at the start of this campaign, this is happening to us now in the league. It is a normal occurrence during the season.
"We mustn't lose our heads and just tell ourselves that's the situation, but we'll have better days.
"This is a different competition and a big match with first place in the group at stake."
Quotes from BT Sport
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