Man City vs Atalanta preview: City aim to beat UCL newcomers to keep 100% record

Manchester City are looking to make another stride towards the Champions League knockout phase when Atalanta arrive on matchday three.

Pep Guardiola’s men hold a perfect record heading into their showdown with the Serie A outfit having brushed Shakhtar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb aside.

City, who have bagged five goals, are yet to concede and Atalanta – playing in their inaugural Champions League season – should provide modest contest as they enter the game on a two-game losing streak in the competition.

Team News

Manchester City defenders Kyle Walker and Nicolas Otamendi are both back in training ahead of Tuesday's Champions League Group C clash with Atalanta at the Etihad Stadium.

Walker missed Saturday's Premier League win at Crystal Palace through illness and Otamendi was also absent with a knock sustained on international duty.

Fellow defender John Stones could also feature after being an unused substitute at the weekend following his recovery from a thigh injury. Aymeric Laporte and Leroy Sane remain on the sidelines.

Duvan Zapata is a doubt with Atalanta's leading scorer nursing a thigh injury he picked up over the international break.

If Zapata fails a late fitness test, Luis Muriel is expected to lead the line.

Marten de Roon is pushing for a recall having been named among the substitutes during Saturday's 3-3 draw with Lazio.

Manchester City and Atalanta have never previously met in European competition.

Atalanta are the fifth different Italian side Man City have faced in UEFA European competition (also Juventus, Milan, Napoli and Roma), registering at least one win over each of the previous four.

Atalanta's previous European meetings with English opponents were in the 2017-18 Europa League group stages, winning both games against Everton, including a 5-1 hammering at Goodison Park.

Manchester City have won their opening two UEFA Champions League group stage matches this season; on the previous 27 occasions English sides have done so, they have all gone on to progress to the next round.

Atalanta are the first Italian side to lose their first two UEFA Champions League matches; the last team to lose their opening three in the competition was Otelul Galati of Romania in 2011-12, who lost all six of their group stage games that season.

Atalanta will be the 39th different team Pep Guardiola has faced in the UEFA Champions League - he has registered a win over 35 of the previous 38, failing only against Celtic, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Predicted XI

Man City: Ederson; Cancelo, Fernandinho, Otamendi, Mendy; Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan; Sterling, Aguero, Bernardo

Atalanta: Gollini; Toloi, Masiello, Palomino; Hateboer, Pasalic, De Roon, Castagne; Papu Gomez; Ilicic, Muriel

Scoreline Prediction

Man City 2-0 Atalanta