For once, Manchester City might not have any fixture complaints this season – for the first few months at least.
The Champions League draw presented eight opponents who represented some of the easier games City could have been given from each pot – and the fixture schedule has also given the Blues a helping hand.
Two of the three most difficult games – away to Juventus and PSG – are saved until the last two matches in the new-look League Phase, but the home games have fallen nicely and Pep Guardiola will consider the draw one of the best outcomes he could have hoped for.
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There are a couple of complicated weeks. Inter at home open up the latest Champions League campaign in a repeat of the glorious 2023 final, with a home visit of Arsenal four days later. It will be a huge double-header, but home advantage in both helps.
The trip to Slovan Bratislava comes after a Saturday lunchtime clash at Newcastle and before a home meeting with Fulham. No obvious issues there. And the home visit of Sparta Prague is sandwiched between a trip to Wolves and visit of Southampton.
The trip to Sporting creates a long week of travel with journeys to Bournemouth and Brighton either side, but City will be happy to have avoided one of the big hitters in the group in that midweek. When Feyenoord visit the Etihad, it’s after an Etihad clash with Spurs and before a trip to Liverpool – so the home Tuesday clash with the Dutch outfit is welcome.
The away game at Juventus is on the Wednesday before the home derby against Manchester United – but United will be in Europa League action on the Thursday and are also away – at Viktoria Plzen in the Czech Republic.
Into January and City are at PSG, still likely needing points to qualify. That short flight to France comes after a long trip to Ipswich and before a home clash with Chelsea, but the home game against Club Brugge a week later is worth ending the league phase at the Etihad given Arsenal await at the Emirates a few days later.
Arsenal end their Champions League fixtures on the same night – as all clubs do – so neither side gains an advantage in January. But for the home clash later this month City are firmly on the right side of the fixture list as Arsenal visit Atalanta away on the Thursday night due to a strange new quirk of the Champions League, just three days before travelling to City.
The Blues have Inter that week, but at home and a day earlier, giving them less travel and more time to prepare for a game that could have a significant say in the title race.
When City play Liverpool, they have an advantage too. City host Feyenoord on the Tuesday, while Liverpool are at home to champions Real Madrid a day later. Liverpool then travel to Newcastle a few days after that in a very tough seven days, while they have a week in October where they travel to RB Leipzig after taking on Chelsea and before travelling to Arsenal – who themselves will be in the middle of a run of games against Bournemouth away, Shakhtar at home, Liverpool at home, Newcastle away, Inter away and Chelsea at home.
It all means City can be happy with their draw. Most of their big games are spread out, and the away trips are mainly separated from more tricky tests in the league. And City have been able to gain an early advantage over both Liverpool and Arsenal in the title race.
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