What do Man City need to progress?published at 17:29 22 January
17:29 22 January
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It seems remarkable to be talking about Manchester City needing results to remain in the Champions League rather than secure a top-eight place but that's where we are.
In fact, Wednesday's match at Paris St-Germain has entered "must-win" territory for both.
City go into the match in 24th - the final play-off spot - on eight points, with PSG just behind in 26th with seven points.
They may not need both, but at the moment, only two wins from two would guarantee Pep Guardiola's side a place in the knockout play-off round.
Marmoush on brink of Man City movepublished at 15:27 22 January
15:27 22 January
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
It won't get announced on Wednesday because Manchester City have quite an important match to play...
However, Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush is on the verge of completing his move to the club.
The Egypt international had his medical on Tuesday and I would imagine everything will be confirmed on Thursday, possibly in time for him to figure in Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea at Etihad Stadium.
Marmoush will represent the attacking replacement many felt City should have signed in the summer when Julian Alvarez left for Atletico Madrid.
'Foden will be excited about the second half of the season' published at 11:09 22 January
11:09 22 January
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Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha says Phil Foden must feel like a "more familiar player now", after scoring six goals in his past six games for the side.
"Given how well Phil Foden played last season, all the awards that he won and then for him to start the season and not score a league goal for probably three months... I think he would have been concerned," Onuoha said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"The coach would have been concerned and there were real questions about what was going on there.
"I think, for him, he feels like he's a more familiar player now and I'm sure he'll be excited about the second half of the season as well."
Keep your eye on the tablepublished at 08:55 22 January
08:55 22 January
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
The current Champions League table is imbalanced due to half the teams playing seven games and the other half playing six, but, in addition to where they are, it is worth keeping an eye on who clubs might play.
Manchester City have dropped a place but their potential play-off opponents has changed from either AC Milan or Atletico Madrid to French pair Brest or Monaco.
Uefa believed the new system would encourage clubs to try and finish in the top two slots to avoid each other until the final. That is looking like Liverpool and Barcelona at the moment.
I do not think anyone has factored in City or defending champions Real Madrid - who are 22nd - performing quite as badly as they have.
PSG v Man City: Did you know?published at 08:53 22 January
08:53 22 January
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Paris St-Germain have only won one of their seven matches against Manchester City in European competition (drawn two, lost four). This is their lowest win percentage (14%) against any opponent they have faced more than four times.
Meanwhile, City have lost their past two Champions League matches away from home, only one fewer than they had lost in their previous 28 away games. Only once have they lost more on the bounce, between November 2011 and December 2012 under Roberto Mancini (four).
Gossip: City seal verbal agreement for Bahpublished at 07:29 22 January
07:29 22 January
Manchester City have a verbal agreement with La Liga club Real Valladolid to sign Sierra Leonean centre-back Juma Bah, 18. (Fabrizio Romano, external)
It is alleged City breached its financial rules between 2009 and 2018, but the club strongly deny all the charges.
As the wait for outcome of the hearing continues, forward Haaland signed a nine-and-a-half-year contract last week to stay in Manchester.
At the club's news conference before they face Paris St-Germain in the Champions League Haaland was asked if the uncertainty was a concern and the 24-year-old said: "I haven't though about that or anything.
"I am confident the club know what they are doing. In the end, I really don't think I should speak too much about this.
"I have been here for two-and-a-half years. In the end, I am confident the club knows what they are doing."
The length of Haaland's deal is the longest in the Premier League and it is at odds with previous suggestions from the Norway international's father that he might only stay two or three years in the league.
"That is his words not mine," Haaland said.
"But I think when I signed for City, it felt like home. I really meant it. I feel like home, I feel so happy, my family is so happy and, in the end, that is what I wanted.
"I am happy."
Guardiola on new gs, showing Foden 'love' and facing PSGpublished at 19:11 21 January
19:11 21 January
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Guardiola would not give an update on Kyle Walker's situation - with the defender looking likely to leave the club this transfer window - and he has not travelled with the squad to Paris.
The City boss said they can "reflect" on the new competition format after the group stage finishes and it is a "good experience for everyone" as it is new for all teams, not just them.
He added: "Really important game for both tomorrow but we have another game in a few days at home. We need six points, maybe mathematically three and we could go through, so we will see."
It is "not possible" for their two new gs to play in the final two group games of the competition, but Guardiola confirmed that in the Premier League "they are able to play already" both physically and mentally.
On recent results and performances he said: "Results have been good. The performance in the last game was good. Other ones we had results but performance was not our best. From where we came from, results were really important but now we come to the toughest part of season in of opponents. I see the calendar and say 'wow', but we go for it."
On what has changed for Phil Foden from the start of the season, Guardiola said: "He was not able to play, simple. So we play a lot of parts of the season without the best player in the world and best player in the Premier League last season."
He said they tried to "let Phil know how much we love him" to help him come through difficulties and added: "The feeling, his mood, his face, the past few weeks he has been talking more, laughing more, being involved in the locker room. Before, he was a little bit down. For the situation we had, for the injured, for the last Euro, I don't know, but this is the career of a football player."
Guardiola said they "definitely have room for improvement" but added: "Life is not always perfect, you live bad moments and what defines us as football players and human beings is how we react and overcome situations."
The City boss praised PSG manager Luis Enrique for how they play, but still wants a "horrible performance" from them tomorrow. However, he added: "That will be for 95 minutes, afterwards the relationship [with Enrique] will always be there."
'The comparison with Ruben Dias is inevitable'published at 17:21 21 January
17:21 21 January
Marcus Alves BBC Sport
Image source, Getty Images
After life-changing transfers such as these, it's easy to forget the obstacles players have had to overcome to get there.
And even though Vitor Reis doesn't come from a particularly humble background, Reis made his share of sacrifices.
"He used to come every day from his hometown of Sao Jose dos Campos to the youth training centre in Guarulhos [on the outskirts of Sao Paulo] to train from the under-11 to the under-15 levels," recalled Joao Paulo Sampaio, the man behind Palmeiras' academy revolution and one of the most sought-after executives in Brazilian football.
"So, every day, his parents would drive him 200 kilometres, never missing a single training [session]. When he left, it was already late, so he would do his school homework in the car to study in the morning and train again in the afternoon. He did that until moving to the club dormitory."
Reis understandably doesn't miss those days.
"The trickiest part was the return journey because I was tired and there was also more traffic due to the rush hour, you know? It was like that until I was 15," he told the club podcast.
But it helped shape the defender into a leader.
"Mentally, Vitor is a very stable player. For most of his time in youth football, he was captain, and in the professional team, he took on a leading role in a very short time," Palmeiras' under-20 coach Lucas Andrade told BBC Sport.
"I think the comparison with Ruben Dias is inevitable here, given the characteristics, the type of player, and also the abilities. We hope he follows the same path."
Why is Reis 'an ET'?published at 16:33 21 January
16:33 21 January
Despite making only 22 appearances for Palmeiras since his senior debut in June, Vitor Reis is ready for the Premier League, Manchester City believe.
It comes as no surprise to Palmeiras.
He's been described within the club as an "ET" - players they consider to be out of this world and way better than the others.
Pep keeps defensive plans under wrapspublished at 15:29 21 January
15:29 21 January
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, getty
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took the unusual step of keeping all his defensive players away from the cameras as his team prepare for a crucial Champions League game against Paris St-Germain.
Only 12 senior players were on show in the 15-minute section of training that has to be open to the media under Uefa rules.
These included new gs Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov, though neither is eligible to play in the final two first phase matches.
Also among the dozen were youngsters Jacob Wright and Divin Mubama.
It meant Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Rico Lewis, Matheus Nunes, Nico O'Reilly and James McAtee of the players who featured in Sunday's 6-0 win at Ipswich were not involved.
Injured pair Nathan Ake and John Stones were not present either, while Kyle Walker was also missing as he finalises a move to AC Milan.
It is not known whether the players ed the session after the media had left.
The move comes as City look to preserve their Champions League future and avoid a calamitous exit from the competition before the knockout phase.
'Reis has all the attributes needed to be one of the best'published at 11:08 21 January
11:08 21 January
Image source, Getty Images
New g Vitor Reis has said "it is a dream come true" to play for a club the size of Manchester City".
"Working with Pep Guardiola is something every young player wants to do, and I know he can help me to develop into the best player I can be.
"City also have a lot of experience of working with Brazilian footballers and ing the likes of Ederson and Savinho in the squad will be a big help to me."
Director of football Txiki Begiristain described Reis as "one of the most promising young defenders in the world", adding: "He is excellent on the ball and outstanding in the air' He has all the attributes needed to be one of the best.
"Vitor is very young, but his quality is so high that we believe he can help us now and for a long time into the future."
What do you think, City fans? How excited are you by this g? And will he come straight into the team?
'The ultimate football environment' - why Haaland deal should be no surprisepublished at 09:36 21 January
09:36 21 January
Freddie Pye Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
When Erling Haaland touched down at Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2022, all some media outlets could think about was how the move to Manchester City may impact his arrival date at Real Madrid or Barcelona.
In the summer that came immediately after the Treble success of 2023, that conversation switched to questions of what Haaland would do next after achieving everything he set out to at City in one season.
Then came a fourth consecutive Premier League title, aided in large part by Haaland's goal contributions, and many were asking: 'Well, with Pep Guardiola set to leave at the end of next season, surely so will Haaland">
Image source, Getty Images
