Man City vs FC Copenhagen (agg 3-1) – Champions League: Live score, team news and updates as Pep Guardiola’s holders look to seal quarter-final progress

This starting XI proves the strength of Manchester City in depth.

Pep Guardiola has made seven changes to the City team that won the Manchester Derby.

I’m surprised he kept Rodri and Erling Haaland though. If they get injured tonight it would be a huge blow to Sunday’s match against Liverpool.

Haaland just likes to score goals, I think.

Let’s rewind to a few weeks ago.

Jude Bellingham was injured, Real Madrid were struggling, but then Brahim Diaz came along to steal the game away from RB Leipzig with a stunning solo goal.

It proved to be the difference in the end, and it was a huge goal for Madrid after a tense affair in Leipzig where they weren’t having it all their own way.

Will things be easier for Los Blancos tonight?

If you’re ever drawn against a Pep Guardiola side in the knockout stages of the Champions League, you’d better hope you don’t lose the first leg.

Guardiola has made progress on the trot after nine two-legged Champions League matches after his side won the first leg away from home.

Copenhagen lost the first leg, so it doesn’t look good for them.

You know how the song goes.

Manchester City certainly loved Copenhagen in their first leg there, when they won 3-1.

It wasn’t the easiest evening Pep Guardiola’s side have ever had, but after goals from Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden they got the job done.

They suffered a brief scare when Magnus Mattsson equalized with an incredible strike after De Bruyne’s opener, and it was all thanks to an Ederson blunder.

However, it only took Bernardo ten minutes to put City back in the lead and the rest is history.

Do you think they sang that song on the bus after the game? I’m sorry to say it again, it’s just stuck in my head.

You can blame my mother for that, she always sings it!

With the big match between Manchester City and Liverpool taking place on Sunday, Pep Guardiola could be suffering from a selection headache tonight.

Guardiola will know how important the match at Anfield is in terms of the title race because if they lose it will seriously damage their chances of a fourth successive Premier League trophy.

Furthermore, they are coming back from a huge victory in the Manchester Derby, which will no doubt have exhausted them emotionally and physically.

With all this in mind, how many changes will Guardiola make?

I think there could be seven or eight. City have plenty to do tonight, even if they turn to their reserves, that’s how good their team is.

I suspect players like Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland will be rested tonight.

Madrid’s love affair with the European Cup is a story as old as time.

Madristas have celebrated their club winning the European Cup fourteen times, double the number of times any other club has.

This season it again looks likely that they will fight for the trophy until the end, after beating RB Leipzig 1-0 away from home in the first leg.

You wouldn’t want to bet on Madrid reaching the next round. They have been knocked out just once in their last 20 two-legged ties after winning the first leg in the knockout stages.

Meanwhile, the statistics don’t look promising for the German side. Leipzig lost in five of the last six matches in the knockout phase and drew the other.

In short, expect a Real Madrid win.

I always believed that once Manchester City managed to win the first European Cup, many more would follow.

It looks like this could happen as early as this season. City’s dominance in this competition has been rampant in recent seasons and it looks set to continue tonight.

City are unbeaten in their last five games against Copenhagen, and after their 3-1 win in the first leg in Denmark, it is certainly too big a task for the Danes to turn it around tonight.

They may face a weakened City side, so will they hurt them?

Oh, it’s a good evening, this is what we have in store for you:

• Manchester City vs Copenhagen, 20:00 GMT
• Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig, 20:00 GMT

On paper you watch these games and you can make a good guess as to who will go through, but you never know what upsets could happen tonight.

It’s been less than 24 hours since I last left this keyboard, but it feels like a lifetime. I’m really enjoying reporting on football at the highest level and we’re looking forward to another fantastic evening.

Manchester City are the favorites to win back-to-back Champions League trophies this season and they have the small matter of the second leg of their last-16 tie against Copenhagen at the Etihad tonight.

Let’s be honest, most of us expect it to be a cakewalk for City tonight, but with them visiting Anfield next weekend, I expect there will be a lot of squad rotation under Pep Guardiola.

Real Madrid’s illustrious history with the Champions League continues tonight as they take on RB Leipzig with a one-goal lead from the first leg. The Bernabeu will be more expectant than hopeful tonight.

With the two favorites for the trophy to be competed for later this campaign at Wembley tonight, you simply can’t miss this one.

Let’s get this show on the road!