"My year is ruined", "Last chance" - Manchester City fans express mixed reactions as 28-year-old star starts against RB Leipzig in UCL
Manchester City fans have reacted online with mixed emotions to Jack Grealish starting at RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, October 4.
The Cityzens will be aiming to make it two wins in a row in the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League as they look to retain their crown this season. They defeated Red Star Belgrade 3-1 last month and are second in Group G, behind Leipzig.
Ederson starts in goal for Manchester City. Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol start in defense. Rico Lewis has been given a rare start in midfield, alongside Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish. Erling Haaland starts up front to complete the starting XI while Julian Alvarez drops to the bench.
Grealish makes his first Champions League appearance after missing most of September due to a hamstring injury. He has only made seven appearances this season but hasn't been in great form, providing just one assist.
Manchester City fans are conflicted with his return to the starting XI. Some are reacting negatively with one fan writing:
"This is Grealish's last chance if he doesn't perform I will never defend him again."
Another fan posted:
"Grealish is starting. My year is ruined."
However there were some positive reactions too. They can be viewed below:
This is the third consecutive UCL campaign where Leipzig have faced Pep Guardiola and Co. The German outfit will be confident of securing a positive result, having won 2-1 and drawn 1-1 at home in the past two years.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola gives his verdict on Josko Gvardiol's impact at the club
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola recently gave his verdict on Josko Gvardiol's impact at City so far during the RB Leipzig pre-match press conference.
The Cityzens signed Gvardiol from Leipzig for £77 million this summer, making him the second-most expensive defender in the world. The 21-year-old has been deployed as a left-back by Guardiola, making seven appearances across all competitions to date.
Guardiola was left impressed by the Croation's impact as he said (via Manchester Evening News):
"He's not had time to train much with us but we're really impressed. He can play at centre-back, left-back midfield. The impact with us is massive. We're really impressed with him on and off the pitch and I'm very pleased Manchester City have done what they've done with him."
Gvardiol will be aiming to impress against his former club in the UCL later tonight.