EUROPAIN CHAMPIONS

Pep: Maybe we need to suffer like Lyon game to achieve greatness

This will be the first time Hoffenheim and Manchester City have met in any competition. In Hoffenheim’s only previous meeting with English opponents, they lost 6-3 on aggregate to Liverpool in the 2017-18 Champions League qualifying play-off round. City are unbeaten in five Champions League games against German opponents (W4, D1) since a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in September 2014. Hoffenheim have won one of their last nine matches in European competition (D3, L5), beating Istanbul Basaksehir in last season’s Europa League. City are the first English side to lose four consecutive matches in the Champions League. City have conceded two or more goals in each of their last four Champions League games; they last conceded at least two goals in five consecutive matches in March 2014. Pep Guardiola faced Hoffenheim six times while in charge of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga; he won five and lost none of those meetings (D1). Guardiola has lost five of his last six Champions League games as manager (W1), as many as he lost in his previous 28 (W18, D5, L5). Sergio Aguero has had a hand in 32 Champions League goals for City (26 goals, 6 assists) – more than any other player.