Manchester City fans are in a confident mood after seeing Riyad Mahrez return to the line-up for the first leg of their Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid.
City will be looking to make the perfect start to their quarter-final as they welcome Atletico to the Etihad this evening. The hosts go into the game fresh from their win over Burnley at the weekend, which ensured they retained their one-point advantage over Liverpool in the title race.
Now, their attention turns to Europe and a side who have enjoyed themselves in Manchester recently. Diego Simeone’s team knocked Manchester United out in the last round and will be looking for more joy against their neighbours this evening.
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Although the defence of their La Liga title has not gone according to plan this season, Atletico do seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time with wins in their last six games in all competitions. And, of course, City will be aware of the challenge posed by Simeone's pragmatic side.
Following on from their exploits at Turf Moor on Saturday, Pep Guardiola has elected to make three changes to his side. Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez return to the side in place of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, while John Stones replaces the suspended Kyle Walker.
Having seen the team, City fans are feeling pretty confident about their chances. And they were particularly happy to see the return of Mahrez to the line-up.
Tonight’s game begins a pivotal couple of weeks for the Blues as they battle on three fronts in the search of a memorable treble. As well as both legs against Atletico, they face Liverpool in both the Premier League and the FA Cup.
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