Julian Alvarez has Liverpool FC incentive amid Man City Champions League bid

Julian Alvarez has Liverpool FC incentive amid Man City Champions League bid

Manchester City take on FC Copenhagen in the second leg of their last-16 clash in the Champions League

 

 

Julian Alvarez replaced Jeremy Doku in the derby

Julian Alvarez replaced Jeremy Doku in the derby(Image: Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Offside via Getty Images.)

Manchester City are looking to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals for the seventh straight year when they take on FC Copenhagen.

 

 

Pep Guardiola’s side are defending champions for the first time and proved too strong for their opponents in Denmark to build a 3-1 lead thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Phil Foden. They will be heavy favourites at the Etihad, where they have not lost a game in any competition since November 2022.

 

 

 

There is also the huge clash with Anfield on Sunday looming when City will take on Liverpool in a Premier League game that could prove decisive in the title race. Guardiola will doubtless insist the focus is on FC Copenhagen, but Liverpool chatter will naturally bleed into the talking points around Wednesday’s match.

 

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Alvarez to start?

One of the selection quirks of this season has that, despite being picked to start in the first 25 Premier League games of the season, Julian Alvarez has scarcely been used in Europe. The Argentine started the first group game against Red Star Belgrade and has then been on the bench for the next six matches.

 

The return of De Bruyne and Erling Haaland has pushed Alvarez out of the XI in the league, with Mateo Kovacic playing instead at Bournemouth and Jeremy Doku against United. However, Doku underwhelmed in the derby and when Alvarez came on in his place he combined with Foden for the second goal.

 

That doesn’t guarantee Alvarez a place in the team for Anfield on Sunday, but if he can be used from the off against FC Copenhagen that gives him another opportunity to play his way in.