Strength in depth means City should get the job done

Champions League Group F
BT Sport 2, 8pm Tuesday

Questions are being asked of Manchester City after their 2-0 loss at Chelsea on Saturday but Pep Guardiola's side can pass a much easier test when hosting Hoffenheim on Champions League matchday six.

Hoffenheim's hopes of reaching the last 16 were over when they lost 3-2 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk last month but they have a mathematical chance to finish in third place and secure passage to the Europa League.

City are in a much healthier position – needing just one point to guarantee first place – but there is little chance of them settling for a stalemate.

Options are thin on the ground for the home side, who are hampered by the addition of David Silva to a lengthy injury list.

Silva sustained a hamstring strain during the defeat at Stamford Bridge and faces a race against time to play some part over the Christmas fixtures.

But the more immediate concern for Guardiola is getting as strong a team as possible onto the pitch for Saturday's league clash at home to Everton.

City will not want to give Liverpool the chance to stretch their advantage and Guardiola will bear the weekend match in mind when making his selection.

Holding midfielder Fernandinho is to be rested and Guardiola has announced that just 15 of his senior players are in contention.

However, given the quality of all of City's players, it is difficult to select a weak side.

Even without Sergio Aguero (absent for Hoffenheim but fighting to face Everton) there should be plenty of potency in the City attack.

Hoffenheim can expect to be seriously tested and may lack the defensive nous to keep City quiet for long.

Like City, the Germans lack options in midfield with Havard Nordtveit injured and Kerim Dembiray suspended.

And defensively they are not to be trusted having kept just one clean sheet in 21 matches this term.

Despite their struggles at the back they are on a seven-match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga and sit seventh, only three points outside the top four.

They are the joint-third highest scorers in the German top flight with 30 goals (two more than Bayern Munich) and were quite happy to persist with their bold, attacking brand of football when losing 2-1 at home to City on matchday one.

Hoffenheim head coach Julian Nagelsman seems to take the view that attack is the best form of defence and there is no reason to change tack at the Etihad because only a victory will be enough to prolong the club's European adventure.

The visitors' approach should be good for the game, ensuring end-to-end fare and plenty of goalscoring opportunities.

City, due to their superior quality, should emerge on the right side of the result but Hoffenheim can get on the scoresheet – as they have done in all of their previous five Champions League games.

Recommendation
Man City to win and both teams to score
1pt 7-5 BoyleSports

Bet on this match at soccerbase.com

Champions League 2018-19 stats

Team news
Manchester City
David Silva (hamstring) has joined Sergio Aguero (thigh), Benjamin Mendy, Kevin De Bruyne (both knee) and Claudio Bravo (Achilles) on the sidelines. Oleksandr Zinchenko (broken nose) is a doubt. Fernandinho will be rested.

Hoffenheim
Kerim Dembiray and Adam Szalai are suspended and Havard Nordtveit (foot) is out but Nadiem Amiri (foot) and Dennis Geiger (hamstring) are back in training.

Key stat
Hoffenheim have scored in 20 of their 21 matches this season.

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