WHAT WE LEARNED
AGUERO’S RETURN
IT would be a welcome sight for every City fan to see Sergio Aguero back in action. It’s been a horrible stop-start campaign for the club’s record goalscorer, but he will hope this is the day his season truly begins.
After recovering from a knee injury to return for three games in October, Aguero missed another month with a hamstring problem and suffered a setback when playing 12 minutes against Olympiacos two weeks ago.
But he looked sharper against Marseille and while a start at Old Trafford is unlikely, a place in the squad seems secure.
His return will be particularly pleasing for Guardiola, given Gabriel Jesus has lost his own goalscoring touch recently.
The Brazilian had been on an impressive run at the start of the season but has now gone five games without a goal. He will soon feel pressure from Aguero for his place.
The 257th goal of Aguero’s City career won’t go down as one of his best, but it was a true poacher’s effort, the kind of goal that makes you wonder whether City might have bagged a few more goals this season with the Argentine in their ranks.
FODEN’S EUROPEAN SPECIAL
ONE player unlikely to be starting in the derby is Phil Foden, a fact that will sting for the City supporting academy graduate.
He hasn’t started in the Premier League since October 17, but this was the fifth successive Champions League game he’d begun and he does seem to have become a European expert.
It’s perhaps not surprising that players are becoming specialists in a sense this season given how demanding the schedule is. If you start in midweek it’s not easy to go again with the same intensity at the weekend.
Foden was good without being spectacular against Marseille, so probably didn’t do enough to force his way into the side for Old Trafford, but the most pleasing element of the game for the 20-year-old might have been getting to play the second 45 minutes in a midfield role.
He has often been played on the wing and began on the left here. You get the feeling he’d much rather be involved in a more central role. He doesn’t get many opportunities to do that at the moment for City, but this was one of them.
He was tidy enough as a No. 8 in the second half, but he probably looked a more threatening presence in the first half, which highlights why Guardiola wants him to play in and around the penalty area as often as he can.
PEP Guardiola said he had ‘a feeling we will do really well this season’ in the competition.
Maybe he is on to something. It might not have been the most taxing group but Porto, Marseille and Olympiacos aren’t exactly D-list opponents either.
City have cruised through their group with five wins and a draw and, crucially, they’ve conceded just one goal.
Defensive lapses have cost them in previous campaigns but so far this term they look more assured in Europe.
All eyes will now be on the draw for the last-16 on Monday, where City will hope for some good fortune.