"Surely there's a better option", "Big gamble from Pep" - Manchester City fans react to star's inclusion in XI to face PSG
Fans online have questioned Pep Guardiola's decision to include Matheus Nunes in Manchester City's starting XI for their UEFA Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The league phase fixture will be held at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, January 22.
The upcoming contest is a must-win for the Cityzens, who are ranked 24th in the UCL table with just eight points from six games. The Parisians are in a similar situation with seven points from six matches, ranked 26th in the table.
Matheus Nunes joined Manchester City from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2023 for a reported €62 million transfer fee. So far, the Portuguese midfielder has played 52 games for City, registering three goals and 12 assists.
However, he has mostly been used as a central midfielder in his career, having played 109 games across clubs and competitions in the position. Therefore, Pep Guardiola fielding him in the backline has made fans skeptical. This season, he has had 23 appearances (15 starts) across competitions, registering three goals and seven assists.
Many Cityzens online believe the move is a gamble and suggested other options. Here are some popular comments from X:
"Nunes RB again…Surely there’s a better option there? Rico? Akanji? Potentially," a fan wrote.
"Big gamble from Pep to play Nunes at fall back so let's hope it pays off," opined another.
Another user highlighted the competition between Matheus Nunes and Bradley Barcola on City's right flank.
"Barcola as Nunes first real test at RB. trial by fire," announced the fan
"Hopefully nunes doesn’t lose concentration like he always does. Nvr been okay with him in our defense," one fan chimed in.
"This is a win game for us. Draw not an option. Nice lineup, hope Nunes doesn't cause us this match with his usual errors. We are Manchester city," inferred another user on X.
City's starting lineup against PSG consists of Erling Haaland up top with Savinho, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden completing the attack. Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva will form the midfield duo with Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, and Matheus Nunes at the back. Ederson will man the sticks.
The clash between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain explained in numbers
Manchester City have a statistical edge over the Ligue 1 giants if we compare past numbers. Paris Saint-Germain have won just one of their last seven games played against the Cityzens in the UEFA Champions League. This is their lowest win percentage against a team they have faced at least five times in the history of the competition.
However, PSG defeated City by a 2-0 margin the last time these two teams clashed at Parc des Princes on September 28, 2021. Manchester City won at the Etihad next month by a scoreline of 2-1 in the return fixture.
Both teams have been poor this season and will need to win today's game if they want to qualify for the next round.
