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Manchester City-Marseille Preview: Academy Time

By J.C. Gonzalez

Manchester City's English midfielder Raheem Sterling (L) celebrates with Manchester City's Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne after scoring his team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Fulham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on December 5, 2020. (Photo by Dave Thompson / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DAVE THOMPSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester City's English midfielder Raheem Sterling (L) celebrates with Manchester City's Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne after scoring his team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Fulham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on December 5, 2020. (Photo by Dave Thompson / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DAVE THOMPSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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With Manchester City having already sealed top spot in Group C, their final game against Marseille is a total dead rubber.

Manchester City will have an excellent opportunity for squad rotation and playing young players in the final game of the Champions League group stage against Marseille. With City already having sealed top spot and a theoretically easier draw, there is nothing to play for other than experience and fitness.

Marseille, while they cannot qualify for the last 16, could still pass Olympiacos and qualify for the Europa League as a result of finishing third, but only if they can better the Greek side’s result. City are widely expected to field a very young team, and it will be exciting to see them get an opportunity on the stage of the Champions League.

With the derby quickly approaching, the challenge for Pep Guardiola will be determining what lineup will be best suited to get a result. The team has underperformed in big games so far this season, and they will have another chance to rectify that at the weekend.

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City have taken full advantage of a weak draw in Europe’s premier competition this season, but this is not the first season in which they have cruised through the group stage before capitulating in the knockouts. If this season is to be different, they will need to prove it when the lights are brightest in early 2021.

Predicted XI: Zack Steffen (GK), Kyle Walker (RB), Eric García (CB), Aymeric Laporte (CB), Oleksandr Zinchenko (LB), Fernandinho (CDM), İlkay Gündoğan (CDM), Bernardo Silva (CAM), Phil Foden (RW), Ferran Torres (ST), Raheem Sterling (LW)