Opta analyst predicts Man City's Champions League campaign
Manchester City discovered their 2026-27 Champions League fixtures for the league phase on Thursday as they look to win the famous trophy for a second time.
Enzo Maresca’s side will be expected to go far in the competition and are no doubt one of the favourites to walk away with the trophy.
However, their start to their Champions League journey is a grim look.
On top of this, they face tricky away ties against Porto and RB Leipzig.
As a result, Opta believes that the club face one of the hardest sets of fixtures in the Champions League’s league phase this season.
Man City have the sixth-hardest fixture list in the Champions League
According to Opta on 28 August, Man City’s fixtures in the Champions League are grim.
Their average opponent rating is 91.7, which is the sixth-highest of any club and the highest of any English team.
In fact, Atletico Madrid are the only potential winner who faces a harder run of matches, with an average opponent rating of 92.0.
As a result, this will be a tough read for City fans, with the club now having to battle a difficult Champions League campaign alongside their domestic competitions.
Maresca will also have little chance to rotate his side, which could then affect their Premier League season.
Can Man City win the Champions League this season?
For City, this is perhaps their most difficult season in the Champions League in years.
The club are no longer the dominant side in England, and the loss of Pep Guardiola is no doubt a huge blow.
However, despite these setbacks, it is hard to rule Man City out of the Champions League race.
The squad is still one of the best in the world, and the club should still be aiming for at least a semi-final.
Many of the teams across Europe are the weakest they have been in years, and many clubs are currently undergoing transition phases.
However, it remains to be seen how City will perform in Europe this season as they look to start their new era in style.