The third round of matches in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League is starting. In the continent's most prestigious competition, the majority of Uzbek football fans support "Manchester City" - undoubtedly, the participation of the team's defender Abdukodir Khusanov was a major factor in this.
The Citizens, led by Josep Guardiola, secured a convincing victory over Napoli in their first two rounds and drew with Monaco. Following these results, the team is approaching the quarterfinals with four points and is in the top eight.
Manchester City will now play against Villarreal in a Spanish away match. This match is expected to be a serious test for Guardiola's team. City have maintained an unbeaten streak in all competitions since August and intend to extend it further.
Winning the Champions League remains a key objective for the coach this season.
In the last round of the Premier League, Manchester City defeated Everton 2-0 thanks to a brace from Erling Haaland. Guardiola also expressed some regret that the Norwegian striker didn't score more goals after that match.
However, some players recovered from injuries and returned to the squad before their trip to Spain. Among them is defender Ryan Ait-Nuri. However, "Golden Ball" winner Rodri Hernandez and Uzbekistan's universal defender Abdukodir Khusanov will not be able to help the team in this game.
Guardiola confirmed that he did not include them in the squad for the match against Villarreal. Naturally, this will be a significant loss for the team.
This time, City traveled to Spain with 22 players. The composition is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, James Trafford, Marcus Bettinelli.
Defenders: Rico Lewis, Mateusz Nunes, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Yoshko Guardiol, Ryan Ait-Nuri, Nico O'Reilly.
Midfielders: Nico Gonzalez, Mateo Kovacic, Tijani Reynders, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Ryan Sherki.
Forwards: Savino, Oscar Bobb, Erling Haaland, Omar Marmusch, Jeremy Doku.
Spanish club Villarreal is also entering this match in good form. They drew 2-2 with Betis in the last round of La Liga and are currently in third place this season, behind Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The highly anticipated Villarreal vs. Manchester City match kicks off at 00:00 Tashkent time on the night of October 21st to 22nd.
This match will be another test for Guardiola's team, and for Villarreal, it will be a battle for prestige at home.
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