Manchester City host AEK Athens at the Etihad Stadium this Tuesday, October 20, for Matchday 3 of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League.
Enzo Maresca’s side sit 19th in the league phase standings with three points after two matches, with one win and one loss. AEK have the same points and record but sit 21st, below Ligue 1 side Lens and Manchester City.
Manchester City vs. AEK: Team News & Starting Lineups
Both teams have some absences heading into this matchup. Manchester City will miss Antoine Semenyo (knee injury) and Nico O’Reilly (back injury).
However, the main concern lies with the players whose availability is uncertain, as Erling Haaland is a doubt to start for unspecified reasons, according to SportsMole.
Mateo Kovacic is also a doubt with a knock injury, as is Matheus Nunes, who is dealing with the same issue.
Meanwhile, AEK have only one confirmed absence: Thomas Strakosha, sidelined with a broken hand.
Manchester City’s CONFIRMED starting XI vs. AEK: Donnarumma, Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, Anderson, Fernández, Allan, Cherki, Foden, Samba.
AEK’s CONFIRMED starting XI vs. Manchester City: Brignoli; Rota, Moukoudi, Relvas, Pilios; Majer, Arriaga, Marin, Mario; Jovic, Varga.
Manchester City vs. AEK: Teams Form & Latest Results
Manchester City head into this match in good form, having recorded four wins in their last five outings. In fact, the Citizens had been on a perfect run, but Paris Saint-Germain ended it with a 4-2 victory on October 14 in the Champions League.
Nevertheless, after that defeat, Manchester City bounced back, beating Ipswich Town 3-2 on October 17. They had previously beaten Liverpool 3-0 on October 11, after defeating Sunderland 5-3 on September 20. On September 17, they thrashed Norwich City 5-0.
Currently, Erling Haaland leads the team with eight Premier League goals. Rayan Cherki follows with four. As for assists, Antoine Semenyo and Josko Gvardiol lead the team with three each in the league.
AEK, meanwhile, have won three of their last five matches. In their most recent outing, they lost 3-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk on October 14 after beating OFI Crete 3-0 on October 10. On September 20, they defeated Volos 2-1 after thrashing Panserraikos 8-1 on September 17. On September 13, they drew 1-1 with Asteras Tripolis.
In the Greek league, AEK’s leading scorers are Barnabás Varga and Luka Jović, with four goals each. Meanwhile, Razvan Marin leads the team in assists with four, followed by Lovro Majer with three.
Manchester City vs. AEK Lineup Today: Confirmed Team News & Starting XI