Both clubs are defending champions on the home front, but they meet on the Champions League stage for just the second time in history after the first-leg clash at the Etihad in the group opener some months ago.

Since that meeting, Manchester City have produced underwhelming and imposing results. Red Star Belgrade have found themselves in a tight corner in their group after they could only garner just one point from their opening three games. 

Red Star Belgrade made a fantastic start to the season as they racked up five wins in their opening six games of the Serbian Super Liga. One interesting fact at the time was that they scored at least two goals in those games with 20 goals. They lost 2-1 to Cukaricki in their final league game before the trip to Manchester for their UEFA Champions League opener against the defending champions. Despite taking the lead in the first half, the Serbian champions crumbled to lose 3-1 to the Citizens after the break. 

They went ahead to win five of their next seven games after that defeat in Manchester. The only loss came on the road to Belgium, where they faced RB Leipzig in their second UCL game this season. 

Meanwhile, Ivorian Krasso Jean-Philippe has been the go-to-man for the Serbians while other forwards – Peter Olayinka and Osman Bukari – have been struggling in front of goal late. The African pair have only scored nine goals in all competitions for Red Star Belgrade.

The Citizens got things underway for the 2023/24 season much earlier, as they lost to Arsenal on penalties in the Community Shield before beating Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup on penalties. On the home front, Pep Guardiola’s men began with a comfortable 3-0 win over Vincent Kompany’s Burnley at Turf Moor courtesy of goals from Erling Haaland (brace) and Rodri. They returned to play at Etihad since their UCL triumph with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle, followed by another gritty 2-1 win over newly-promoted Sheffield United. Haaland and Rodri were the goal scorers once again. Just before the international break, a comprehensive 5-1 mauling of Fulham, where Haaland grabbed his first hat trick of the season, followed. 

While manager Pep Guardiola was away recuperating from back surgery, the Citizens kept performing at a high level, which did not surprise many. The Manchester side returned to the UEFA Champions League with a bang to begin their title defence They went behind 1-0 at the break and emerged from the tunnel to walk away with all three points. They went ahead to beat Nottingham Forest at home in their next league game before ending the month of September with two consecutive defeats. Guardiola’s side lost to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup before suffering a first league defeat of the season at the hands of Wolves.

That poor form would not matter as they faced Leipzig in their second group game in the UEFA Champions League. City cruised to a 3-1 win before losing 1-0 to Arsenal in the top-of-the-table clash at the Emirates. Three consecutive wins over Brighton, Young Boys, and Manchester United helped them to finish October on a high. 

As the UEFA Champions League group stage ends, Pep Guardiola will be keen to see his side on a solid note, having already booked their spot in the second round. The odds are against Red Star Belgrade, but they will fight to see if they can finish third and head for the Europa League.

Match tickets

The match at the Stadion Rajko Mitić in Belgrade kicks off on Wednesday, 13th December, at 6:45 PM UK time, and it will be shown live on TNT Sports, with coverage starting from around 6 PM.

Red Star Belgrade has the chance to host the defending champions at their 50,000-capacity stadium, and the fans should be around for this contest. However, this kind of game could explode into a far more competitive battle than the one the first leg produced. 

Getting tickets for Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City tickets will be difficult, given the significance of the game and the kind of opposition. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels. 

Team news

Line-ups

Red Star Belgrade are down and out but hoping to bow out in style in front of their fans. Under Bakhar Barak’s guidance, the Serbian champions have been playing a back three since the start of the season, and he could go on with that again for this match. This means Peter Olayinka, Vladimir Lucic, and Osman Bukari are all expected to start in this final fixture. Meanwhile, no player(s) is currently reported injured or suspended.

Red Star Belgrade: Glazer; Degenek, Mijailovic, Dragovic; Bukari, Krasso, Stamenic, Kangwa, Mitrovic; Jackson, Lucic, Olayinka

Even in tight games, Erling Haaland continues to find the back of the net. One thing Guardiola has done this term is to find a way to play the Norwegian alongside World Cup winner Julian Alvarez, and this might be the selection once again. Changes could happen, considering the fact that it’s an entirely dead rubber match for the Citizens. Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring) is the most notable absentee.

Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Akanji, Ake; Rodri, Nunez; Doku, Alvarez, Foden; Haaland

Prediction

Red Star Belgrade has a decent home record against some English teams, including Liverpool and Arsenal. They might rely on that as they hope to usurp the defending champions.

This is a different UCL campaign for the Citizens, who finally got their hands on the elusive Champions League trophy last season. So, the pressure to deliver has dramatically reduced, and they will approach the games as they come. Despite their fine start to the season, several defeats have raised questions about the quality of the side to attain another feat in Europe’s elite competition once again. 

Manchester City, regardless of whether they have qualified or not, are huge favorites here, and anything short of a win would be considered a surprise. 

Red Star Belgrade 1-3 Manchester City