Manchester City
Reuters

Follow minute by minute coverage of all tonight's action on IB Times UK's LIVE blog here.

Manchester City host holders Bayern Munich at the Etihad on Wednesday, as the Citizens begin a new Champions League adventure, in the hope of progressing from the group stages in their third attempt.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 7.45pm BST, with Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports 2HD, Sky Sports Red Button and Sky Go providing live coverage in the UK.

Overview

City had failed to enter the Round of 16 stage in the last two seasons, while Bayern reached the finals on both occasions, winning last year. However, Manuel Pellegrini's men opened their campaign on a positive note this season, beating Czech side Viktoria Plzen 3-0 away, while the Bavarians defeated CSKA Moscow by the same scoreline in Russia in the other group fixture.

Domestically, City have not enjoyed the best of starts and are currently seventh in the Premier League table, five points behind early leaders Arsenal. They lost 3-2 against Aston Villa at the weekend but will be keen to bounce back with a good performance tonight.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's side sit atop the Bundesliga table, level on points with Borussia Dortmund, with six wins from seven matches. The Germans have won their last six games in the Champions League, scoring 16 goals and conceding just once.

City were grouped with Bayern in the 2010-11 season, with both fixtures ending 2-0 to the home side. Also, Pellegrini has come up against Guardiola eight times with Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga, but has never been able to get the better of the 42-year-old.

Bayern Munich
Reuters

What Players Say

Nasri: "They're defending champions. In the last four years, they've played in three finals. That's extraordinary. They're a force to be reckoned with yet again this season. This game is an opportunity for us to see where we're at."

Robben: "They are not the only club with a lot of money in Europe. You can't just buy quality; you have to build a team. Having enough good players will give you a chance of hitting the jackpot at some point. They have the potential to progress well this time."

Form Guide

Manchester City

    • Last Five Games: (most recent first): L W W W D
    • Last Match: Aston Villa 3 - 2 Manchester City

Bayern Munich

    • Last Five Games: (most recent first): W W W W W
    • Last Match: Bayern Munich 1 - 0 Wolsburg

Team News

Manchester City

    • Injured: Demichelis (knee)
    • Doubtful: Rodwell (fitness)
    • Suspended/Ineligible: N/A

Probable Starting Line-up (4-4-2): Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Kolarov; Navas, Fernandinho, Toure, Nasri; Aguero, Negredo

Bayern Munich

    • Injured: Martinez (groin), Thiago (ankle), Badstuber (knee)
    • Doubtful: Schweinsteiger (fitness)
    • Suspended: N/A

Probable Starting Line-up (4-3-3) Neuer; Rafinha, Boateng, Dante, Alaba; Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Muller; Robben, Mandzukic, Ribery

Russia Real Madrid