Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade LIVE: Champions League team news, line-ups and more tonight

Manchester City hand a first start to Matheus Nunes for their Champions League opener against Red Star. Sergio Gomez and Nathan Ake also come into the team that defeated West Ham 3-1 on Saturday, while Manuel Akanji, Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku drop out.

Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Gomez, Rodri, Bernardo, Nunes, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Phillips, Doku, Gvardiol, Akanji, Bobb, Lewis

As Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup in Doha, Kylian Mbappe was “livid”. It of course wasn’t because of his former team-mate’s success. It was that Mbappe had missed his only chance to emulate Pele and win two World Cup finals by the age of 23. The Paris Saint-Germain star is said to be more aware of his legacy than perhaps any previous major player in history – certainly much more than Erling Haaland.

It is why he is now so singularly focused on the Champions League. That’s why he ultimately wants to go to Real Madrid. Watching Haaland lift it in June will have only added to that, all the more so because the Manchester City forward clearly doesn’t care quite as much. That isn’t to say he didn’t greatly want it, of course, but it’s one growing difference with Mbappe.

The Norwegian said only last week he didn’t care for that projected rivalry, either, and that might well be true. Those differences between Haaland and Mbappe will still define the next decade of football in the same way those between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did the last decade.

Manchester City tend to come flying out of the blocks in the Champions League group stages as Pep Guardiola looks to win enough games to qualify for the knockout rounds as soon as possible. The City boss says this year will be no different.

“Every season we start the competition in the first game with the target to win the first game, then the group stage, then try to win the Champions League,” said Guardiola on Monday.

“Nothing changes from before.

“The same for Red Star tomorrow [Tuesday]. It depends on our performance and our level. We’re incredibly happy to defend this crown but this competition doesn’t allow you mistakes.

“But always we were so strong at home, nine points from nine. When that happens you can win just one game away and you qualify. Tomorrow is the first step.”

Manchester City will be without John Stones, Jack Grealish, Mateo Kovacic and Kevin De Bruyne when they open their Champions League defence against Red Star Belgrade tonight.

All four are injured with defender Stones not playing since the Community Shield, midfielder Grealish suffering a knock before the international break. Kovacic was then injured while on Croatia duty and De Bruyne is out long term.

Can City cope without them?

Newcastle United face a brutally tough draw on their return to the Champions League after being dropped in group F with Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.

Manchester United are up against Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich in group A along with Turkish champions Galatasaray, and new striker Rasmus Hojlund will also face his old side Copenhagen.

Arsenal will play Europa League champions Sevilla as well as PSV Eindhoven and Lens, while holders Manchester City will take on RB Leipzig, Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade.

Red Star can be difficult opponents in the Champions League, but usually only at their home ground and they are likely to struggle to impose themselves against City.

They will try to utilise a vocal travelling support, but will be unable to stop the home side.

Man City 3-0 Red Star Belgrade

Guardiola said after his side’s win at West Ham at the weekend that he would be forced to make changes to his line-up in the upcoming weeks to protect players, something which could come as soon as Tuesday.

City are due to play four matches in just 11 days, a tough ask for any team, especially considering that comes off the back of an international break that saw many members of the team travel as far as South America.

They will continue to be without the injured Kevin De Bruyne, while the match could also come too soon for John Stones, Jack Grealish and Mateo Kovacic.

The match kicks off at 8pm BST on Tuesday 19 September at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

Man City vs Red Star Belgrade will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 2 and TNT Sports Ultimate. it will be streamed live on the Discovery+ app and desktop website for subscribers.

Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Manchester City versus Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s treble winners are hoping to repeat their feat this season as they look to defend their title as European winners after they defeated Inter Milan in the Champions League final earlier this year.

They’ve been drawn in a favourable group and should progress to the knockout rounds without too much trouble. Guardiola will hope his team can make a statement win tonight after notching up five straight wins in the Premier League so far.

We’ll have all the build-up and updates ahead of kick off at 8pm.