Dynamo Kiev v Manchester City

Posted Wednesday, February 24, 2016 by foxsportsasia

Manchester City will be hoping for a better showing against Dynamo Kiev this time around when they meet in the UEFA Champions League last-16 on Wednesday.

The Ukraine giants disposed of City at the same stage in the Europa League back in 2011 following a 2-1 aggregate win.

Manuel Pellegrini's side enter the first-leg tie at NSK Olimpiyskiy on the back of a 5-1 hammering by Chelsea in the FA Cup on Sunday, which followed on from back-to-back defeats, against Leicester and Tottenham, in the Premier League.

Pellegrini is expected to make wholesale changes to his starting line-up in Ukraine's capital, having given six players their full debuts against the Blues at the weekend.

The defending Ukraine champions are nearing the end of their three-month winter break, having not played a competitive match since December 9, when they beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-0 in the final round of the Champions League groups stages.

Serhiy Rebrov's men have featured in 13 friendly games to prepare for the second half of the season and their European double-header against the Citizens, while they have a couple of new faces in the squad following the recent arrivals of Oleksandr Yakovenko and Nikita Korzun.

Goalkeeper Artur Rudko is also back in contention, having returned from a six-month loan spell at Goverla Uzhgorod.

The visitors continue to be without a number of key players, with Kevin De Bruyne (knee), Samir Nasri (thigh), Eliaquim Mangala, Jesus Navas (both hamstring) and Fabian Delph (Achilles) all still on the treatment table.

Meanwhile, Bacary Sagna and Wilfried Bony are both rated doubtful with knee and calf problems respectively.