The side will play their first fixture in the competition since the 1-0 loss to Chelsea in last season’s final in Lisbon.

The reigning English champions will look to go one step further in the competition and finally win the trophy that has eluded them since the City Football Group took over the club in 2008.

The Cityzens have won three on the bounce since their opening day loss to Tottenham Hotspur and head into their first European tie of the season in good form.

City will look to carry that from over and get their campaign for a European Cup off to a positive start.

Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is fit for the club while left-back Benjamin Mendy is currently suspended as he is subject to a police investigation.

£100m signing Jack Grealish will be expected to fill De Bruyne’s boots and be the playmaker for Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Manchester team, who are without a recognised striker in their squad, will have plenty of talent in attack to call upon.

Gabriel Jesus, Ferran Torres and Raheem Sterling are among the options the side can choose from.

Their opponents in the Group A clash, RB Leipzig, are coming into the fixture off the back of a strong defeat to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Defenders Marcel Halstenburg and Marcelo Saracchi are the only two players ruled out for the side through injury.

New signings Ilaix Moriba and Andre Silva are set to feature in the competition with the side for the first time.

Lineups

Man City (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Dias (C), Ake, Zinchenko; Rodri, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish, Torres, Mahrez.

Subs: Carson, Slicker, Walker, Sterling, Gundogan, Jesus, Fernandinho, Foden, Palmer, Lavia.

RB Leipzig (4-2-3-1): Gulacsi; Mukiele, Klostermann, Orban, Angelino; Laimer, Adams; Olmo, Forsberg, Nkunku; Silva.

Subs: Martinez, Simakan, Haidara, Poulsen, Szoboszlai, Brobbey, Moriba, Gvardiol, Henrichs, Kampl.

Odds

Man City 2/7

Draw 9/2

RB Leipzig 17/2

Where To Watch

The match will kick-off at 8 pm and will be available to watch on BT Sport 3.

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Lookman is also keen on a move away from the Bundesliga side after failing to break into the starting eleven.

He had made an impression as an 18-year-old at Everton and appeared 11 times for the England U21 national team but has failed to appear for the senior side as of yet.

The Englishman joined the club in 2019 from Everton for a fee of £16.2 million, according to German website transfermarkt.

He had a loan spell in Leipzig previous to joining permanently where he impressed and showed flashes of his potential.

The 23-year-old convinced the German club to buy him after five goals in 11 appearances during his loan spell.

However, he has not had the same success since then with only 13 appearances to his name since his permanent move and his most recent loan spell yielded only four goals and four assists in 35 appearances.

Yet, his attacking talents could prove useful if he joins Brendan Rodgers’ Leiecester City as he can provide the side with the same qualities that injured right-back Ricardo Pereira has.

On top of this, the attacker can play in several positions in the final third and can be a useful squad player for Rodgers as he looks to break Leicester into the UEFA Champions League spots this season.

Rodgers has a good record of developing promising young players with the likes of Harvey Barnes, Youri Tielemans and James Justin becoming better players while working with the Northern Irish manager.

Lookman falls into that category at 23 years of age and could benefit from a move to this ever-improving Leicester side.

The deal must be done before 11 pm on Tuesday night.

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Sky Sports has today announced that it has bought the exclusive rights to show the Bundesliga in the UK and Ireland for the next four seasons.

German top-flight football fans in the UK and Ireland, will be able to watch superstars Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski. Bundesliga champions Bayern München, Dortmund and newcomers RB Leipzig will challenge for domestic glory from the 2021/22 to 2024/25 season.

Sky Sports’ coverage of the league will begin at 7.30pm on Friday 13^th August with champions FC Bayern München travelling to Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Then, the 2012 league winners Borussia Dortmund take on Eintracht Frankfurt on the Saturday, kick off at 5.30pm.

In addition to the Bundesliga, Sky will also broadcast the German Supercup live. This will have an early “Klassiker” match-up, with Dortmund and Bayern going head-to-head on 17th August.

The premium fixture of each weekend will be shown live every Saturday at 5.30pm.  Further matches will be broadcast on Sky Sports linear or digital channels including Sky Sports YouTube.

Sky Sports Managing Director Jonathan Licht said:

“We’re delighted to have acquired the rights to the Bundesliga. Sky Sports customers will have the opportunity to watch some of the best players in the world as well as some of the leading teams in Europe.

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Sky Sports has become the new home of the Bundesliga in the UK and Ireland after winning exclusive rights for the next four seasons

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 5, 2021

What else will be on offer as well?

The Bundesliga joins an already busy roster of football rights in Sky’s portfolio including the Premier League, EFL, Scottish Premiership.

Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein added:

“This is a partnership that will deliver the best of the Bundesliga week-in, week-out, through world class production and multi-platform coverage. With Sky as our partner, Bundesliga fans will benefit from a first-class football viewing experience.

“This, paired with the Bundesliga’s trademark attacking style of football, means that fans can expect an action-packed season, featuring some of the world’s best players and the most exciting up-and-coming talent.”

How it started: #Bundesliga Champions!

How @FCBayernEN celebrated: pic.twitter.com/FGQijA3Pmb

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) May 8, 2021

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Dortmund now sit on 60 points with 29 games played. There are five games left in the current season. Meanwhile, Paderborn are in the relegation zone on bottom of the table. It took 54 minutes for the game’s first goal coming from Belgian international Thorgan Hazard, this was followed up three minutes later by England international Jadon Sancho. Interestingly, Sancho revealed a shirt with the words Justice for George Floyd and was subsequently given a yellow card. 

Paderborn pulled a goal back through Uwe Hunemeier with a 72nd minute penalty, before Sancho stretched the Dortmund lead to two goals with his second of the game on 74 minutes. Achraf Hakimi put the game to bed with his sides fourth goal on 85 minutes. Hakimi also revealed a shirt with support for George Floyd. It was 5-1 minutes with Marcel Schmelzer before Sancho completed his hat trick in added time to complete the rout.

In other games, Marcel Thuram and Alassane Plea helped steer Borussia Monchengladbach to a 4-1 win over Union Berlin. They then in turn reclaimed the Champions League spot. Thuram also paid tribute to George Floyd going down on one knee after he scored. Marco Rose manager of Gladbach was delighted with his sides performance he said, “We did what we set out to do,” Gladbach coach Marco Rose said. “When we had possession we were dominant even though we made one or two mistakes more than we should. But we scored four good goals and I am obviously very satisfied with the performance and the result.”

Bayern Munich had a big 5-0 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday. Goals from Robert Lewandowski (2), Benjamin Pavard, Alphonso Davies and an own goal. Bayern manager Hans-Dieter-Flick said, “It was important for us to show we wouldn’t ease off after Tuesday’s match against Dortmund,”. “We still have a few matches ahead of us. We’re in a good position now.”

The Bundesliga was one of the first leagues to resume two weeks ago after a two month break due to Covid 19. Strict measures are in place with games behind closed doors.

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Joshua Kimmich was the hero on the night as he chipped goalkeeper Roman Buerki just before the half time whistle on 43 minutes. It was a somewhat eerie feeling at the Signal Iduna which is normally a sold out 80,000. However, it was Bayern who will come away the happiest and now look well on the way to securing a eight successive title.

Dortmund started the game brightly. Norwegian super star Erling Haaland when close in the opening minute only to see his shot cleared off the line by Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng. Bayern though were gradually coming more and more into the game. They also had a chance cleared off the line. Lukasz Piszczek coming to the rescue from an effort by Serge Gnabry. Haaland had another effort on 33 minutes and he should of scored given the quality he has.

However, the ball was snatched away from him by Alphonso Davies. Then came the delightful goal from Kimmich. It arrived just before the break, his chip from the edge of the box beating the Dortmund netminder. Bayern remained in control for much of the second half. Haaland was forced through injury. Mo Dahoud had an effort saved by Manuel Neuer. The German number 1 was making his 400th league appearance and he would keep a clean sheet.

In other Bundesliga games, Wolfsburg had a super 4-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. Pongracic (2), Arnold and Steffen all netting.Julian Baumgartlinger scored a consolation for Leverkusen but it was too little too late as Wolfsburg remain in the hunt for Europa League. Eintracht Frankfurt ended a 5 games losing run with a 3-3 draw with Freiberg. Grifo, Petersen and Holer scored for Freiberg, while Silva, Kamada and Chandler all netted for Frankfurt. Werder Bremen and Borussia Mönchengladbach played out a 0-0 draw. Gladbach now move into the top four, while Bremen slip further into relegation.

Bundesliga games continue this weekend.

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Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski, Leon Goretzka and Aphonso Davies applied the finishes in four of those goals. A own goal from Martin Hinteregger completed the rout. This means that Bayern are still ahead in the table by 4 points. They play Borrusia Dortmund on Tuesday night in what is essentially a title decider.

Bayern will be disappointed with their defending though. They conceded two goals from set pieces within four minutes. In fact those two goals from Hinteregger. The sides had previously met earlier in the season when it was Frankfurt that put five goals past the then Niko Kovac coached side. However, that 5-1 ultimately cost Kovac his job at the Allianz Arena.

In other Bundesliga games, Borussia Dortmund scored twice to beat Wolfsburg 2-0. The goals coming from Raphael Guerreiro and Achraf Hakimi. The win keeps them just four points adrift of Btable toppers Bayern Munich. Bayer Leverkusen also had a good win over Borrusia Moncengladbach. Leverkusen winning 3-1. Goals coming from Kai Havertz who scored a brace, while Sven Bender also headed in on 81 minutes. Marcus Thuram pulled one back for Moncengladbach but it was two little to late as Leverkusen slide into third place.

Werder Bremen had a 1-0 over Freiberg. The winner for Bremen coming from Leonardo Bittencourt. The win sees them remain in the relegation zone but with a game in hand of their opponents. Hoffenheim and Paderborn played out a 1-1 draw. Robert Skov had an early goal cancelled out by Dennis Srbeny.

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1. World Cup Gold (Friday, 7.30pm, TG4) – TG4 have been superb with this since they are showing no live sport. They will show the Italia 90 meeting between Ireland and Italy. A team which comprised of greats such as Packie Bonner, Paul McGrath, Ray Houghton, Mick McCarthy and Kevin Moran to name but a few. The Italians had players like Baggio, Schillaci, Maldini and Baresi in their ranks. Something to get your weekend started for sure

2. Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (Saturday, 2:30pm, BT Sport 1) – It is 6th versus 2nd on Saturday in the German Bundesliga which returned last weekend with some good games. Dortmund had a resounding 4-0 win over Schalke, while Wolfsburg beat Augsburg 2-1. Dortmund have won the last two fixtures between the sides without conceding. Certainly one to watch on BT Sport 1.

3. Liverpool v Manchester City (Saturday, 6:00pm, Sky Sports) – Not a live game but at least a good game on to get your football fix of the Premier League this weekend. The game was in 2018. A cracker of a game this which Liverpool won 4-3 at Anfield. Goals from Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino got the win for the Reds.

4. Rugby Gold (Saturday, 7.15pm, TG4) – Rugbai Gold will show the game between Munster and Neath in the 2003 Celtic League. Munster lost the Heineken Cup at the same venue to Leicester the previous year and also lost to provincial rivals Leinster. A Munster team with likes of Anthony Foley, John Hayes, Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer to name but a few up against Gareth Llewellyn and the Jones’, Adam and Duncan.

5. All-Ireland Gold (Sunday, 2.45pm, TG4) – Another classic game which TG4 have decided to show is the 1968 All-Ireland Hurling final between Wexford and Tipperary. A cracker of a game it was to.  A game featuring some of the greatest to play the game, Tony Doran, Ned Colfer and Dan Quigley. The game produced 8 goals in total. Jimmy Doyle, John Doyle and Michael Keating were the players on the Premier side.

Enjoy the sports this weekend and remember stay safe !

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It was announced last week that the German football league would resume. Their first and second divisions from Saturday will resume action after a two month suspension. However, strict guidelines will be required, obviously this means stadiums will almost empty. Only 300 essential staff will be able to attend, such as tv crew and some press. Furthermore, players have been told not to spit. They have also been told to celebrate in group or touch hands. RTE Sport report that some clubs in fact will use music and cardboard cutouts of fans to enhance atmosphere.

The Bundesliga have said they wish to complete the season by June 30th. However, they are aware of the risk of another suspension if there are large number of cases among players. The league have said a further suspension would hurt clubs financially, stating another suspension would be “disastrous” for both league and teams. The Premier League, La Liga and Serie A have no yet resumed so the Bundesliga will become the big league with many people looking for some soccer to watch.

Bayern Munich, who are looking for their 8th league title in a row will play away to FC Union Berlin. Borussia Dortmund will entertain Schalke 04. The CEO of Bayern Munich Rummenigge said, “With the Bundesliga as the only league to be broadcast on TV, I expect we will have an audience of a billion.”

Moreover, It is great finally to have something to watch for sports fanatics. It is also great for those in the area of sports journalist. It is something to cover in this difficult time with no sport on. All the action can be viewed on various channels over the weekend with some games also showing on BT Sport. So, if you want your fix of soccer this weekend be sure to watch the Bundesliga.

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The Champions League was suspended this month as was the Europa League. There were still around 40 games to be played in the competitions. Euro 2020 which was meant to be played out this summer will now be played in 2021. According to Learnbonds data suggest that suspension of matches will cost European clubs a massive 4.1 billion euros.

Looking at cross channel in the UK. The Premier League clubs will lose around 1.28 billion euro. The report states that more than 800 million of that total comes from lost broadcasting revenue. These are likely to from BT Sport and Sky Sports which shows most games. 300 million is expected to be lost in commercial sales, with 180 million drop in match day profit.

The Spanish La Liga will also have a massive loss. Spain which has been hit by pandemic are still in the midst of a lockdown. They are expected to lose around 970 million euros. The Bundesliga in Germany is projected to lose around 790 million, the Serie A in Italy where the virus has hit hardest in Europe is projected to lose up to 700 million in revenue. France Ligue 1 is also going to be a big loss with over 400 million euros.

The threat of players losing their value in terms of transfer money is also under threat. The report outlines that Manchester City would lose 412 million in player value. Barcelona are next on the list with a potential loss of 366 million. Liverpool, Real Madrid and PSG follow with 353 million, 350 million and 302 million in loses.

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