Preview
Manchester City's UEFA Champions League second leg semifinal showdown with Real Madrid is fast approaching, but before the league leaders visit Santiago Bernabeu, they have a weekend affair in the Premier League to take care of. The defending champions are due in action on Saturday, with Guardiola's men set to lock horns with Leeds in what should be an intriguing affair.
The Cityzens are currently locked in a heated title race with Liverpool, with only a single point separating the two English giants. Given that the defending champions only have five games remaining in this season, De Bruyne and Co. cannot afford to slip up in their pursuit of a second consecutive top-flight crown – and seventh overall.
While there are a few injury concerns at Manchester City, the visitors enter this game with confidence, having won their last three outings in a row, the most recent being their brilliant 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal affair.
Benzema's two-goal haul and City's plethora of missed opportunities led to many forgetting that Guardiola's men won the game. Goals from De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Foden, and Silva guided them to a first-leg victory. The focus on Saturday will be on the Leeds clash but one can expect Guardiola to have an eye on Wednesday's trip to Santiago Bernabeu.
The league leaders have slipped up three times in the top-flight in their last 10 outings, hence why Liverpool are now hot on their heels, losing once while drawing twice. Will the defending champions brush Saturday's opposition aside or will this be the moment Manchester City surrender the no.1 spot?
Leeds will be hoping for the latter to occur. Since the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa and the appointment of Jesse Marsch, the Peacocks have improved in their bid to avoid relegation this season. However, with only five points separating them from 18th-placed Everton, the hosts aren't completely out of the race.
Unfortunately, the last time Raphinha and Co. crossed paths with Manchester City, it ended miserably for the West Yorkshire outfit. Yes, Leeds were ravaged by injury at the time of that Etihad Stadium trip, but the 7-0 defeat they suffered there stung nonetheless as six different players got on the scoresheet for the Cityzens.
However, form has picked up for the home side. They are unbeaten in their last five matches, winning three and drawing two after going without victory from late January to mid-March. It is a huge ask to expect Leeds to nab a positive result against this rampant Manchester City side, but with the hosts fighting to remain in the top-flight, expect them to give it their all against their mega-rich opponents.
Team news
Leeds: The home side are still struggling with injuries, with Adam Forshaw, Tyler Roberts, Crysencio Summerville and Patrick Bamford all being on the sidelines.
Man City: John Stones and Kyle Walker are injured and will thus play no part in this game. Joao Cancelo missed the recent victory over Real Madrid, but that was due to a one-match suspension in Europe, meaning the Portuguese star should return to the lineup. He, however, will likely move to right-back to deputize for Walker, meaning Oleksandr Zinchenko should retain his spot as the left-back
Key stats
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Manchester City can pull off their first league double over Leeds since 1981-82.
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Coincidentally, the last time the Cityzens pulled off the league double over the Peacocks, the West Yorkshire outfit ended up getting relegated.
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The hosts have not beaten a defending Premier League champions since overcoming Arsenal back in 1999, going six consecutive games without victory against any English top-flight holder.
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The Cityzens have triumphed in 10 of their last 12 away games and did not concede a goal in nine of those fixtures.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
