Man City 3-1 Crvena Zvezda – Champions League LIVE: Rodri stretches lead for Pep Guardiola’s side after they conceded shock opener, with Julian Alvarez netting twice amid goalkeeping howler

RODRI FINDS THE BACK OF THE NET!

Some changes were made just a moment ago. Jean-Philippe Krasso and Peter Olayinka came on, while Ivanic and Ndiaye went off for the visitors.

Another chance for City! This time it is Doku who comes close to finding the back of the net. He played a lovely 1-2 with Alverez but played his final shot straight at the keeper.

Ake picks up the ball on the left-handside and drives down the flank. He chips it over the keeper at the near post – playing it back into the middle of the box. Alvarez runs onto it but hit the side netting!

CHANCE FOR CITY! It’s just not Haaland’s night tonight. Any other day of the week he’d have a hatrick. This time, Walker played a lovely ball into the box. Haaland headed it down towards Glazer but the keeper made the save.

CITY SCORE AGAIN! City earn themselves a free-kick outside of the box on the left-hand-side. Alverez steps over the set piece and curls it towards goal. Glazer comes flying out to punch the ball clear. However, he must have taken his eye off the ball and completely missed it! As a result, the ball ended up in the back of the net! Disappointing for Glazer as he’s been excellent tonight.

HUGE CHANCE FOR HAALAND! Alverez picks up the ball on the edge of the box, fires a rocket towards goal. Glazer does well to get down and make the block but couldn’t keep hold of it. It spilled to Haaland, who was running into the penalty area. Haaland connected with it but Glazer did incredibly well to move across and make the second save.

Third yellow card of the game has been dished out. This time it goes to Dias for the foul he committed on Bukari.

Red Star need to be careful. City have the momentum and they are showing no signs of slowing down. If they don’t get a grip on the game… I feel the floodgates could open.

Walker’s goal is disallowed! The flag has gone up, Walker has been deemed offside. As a result, his goal has been chalked off. He’s disappointed but doesn’t look surprised to be honest…

WALKER FINDS THE BACK OF THE NET! The ball is played over the top to Walker, he looks to cross it but the Red Star defender blocks it. The ball rebounded back to Walker, who slipped it past Glazer to make it 2-1.

Well, that’s didn’t take long! Manchester City score just 1 minutes into the second half. Alverez plays the ball into Haaland at the edge of the box. The Norweigan turns and drives forward. Alverez continues his run and Haaland slips it into his path. Alverez rounds the goalkeeper and slots it home.

And… we’re back underway. Red Star will be looking to hold onto their lead, while Pep Guardiola will be hoping his City side will start finishing their chances. No changes to either side after the break… but I’m sure there will be plenty to come later.

Some angry Man City fans in the main stand here. Red Star employees, journalists and some away supporters in the posh seats have gone crazy at that opening goal. They had to be told to calm down by City staff.

Manchester City head into the break 1-0 down. They should have taken their chances through Haaland and Foden. Now they will be playing catch-up in the second half. I can’t imagine Pep Guardiola will be happy! Meanwhile, Osman Bukari is the star of the show for the visitors.

THE GOAL HAS BEEN GIVEN! MANCHESTER CITY ARE 1-0 DOWN AT HOME! Credit where credit is due, that was a superb finish from Osman Bukari.

Red Star SCORE but the flag goes up for offside. However, looking at the replay… I think he might have timed his run perfectly! VAR are taking a look at it now. If you ask me, I think the goal should stand…

Doku gets stuck strraight into the action. He’s playing on the right-hand-side compared to the left. He takes his defender on 1v1, breaks into the box, cuts back and looks to cross the ball. However, he couldn’t quite get it off.

Manchester City make their first change of the game. It is Jeremey Doku who is given the nod by Pep Guardiola. He comes on to replace Bernado Silva – who looks to be carrying a little injury.

Huge chance for Foden! Another impressive delivery from Gomez lands into the path of Foden. He connects well with his header but directs it straight at the keeper! He needs to do better there. That was a goal on a silver platter!

Chance for Rodri! The ball is played into the box, Rodri comes forward, chests it down and rounds the goalkeeper. It was a tight angle and the City star decided to dink it back into the box instead of shooting. However, his team-mates weren’t there to collect it!

Chance for Haaland! It was a much harder one than the header but he looks disappointed. Gomez did well to cut the ball back to him in the centre of the box. He connects with it well but couldn’t place it in the corner. As a result, it goes over the bar.

The second yellow card of the game is handed out. This time it goes to Milan Rodic – who is booked for sliding into Matheus Nunes. The former Wolves player isn’t impressed and is seen hobling around.

Red Star have their first real chance of the game. Bukari and Ndiaye break away for the visitors but it is Hwang who tests Ederson. Thankfully, for the City fans… their goalkeeper dealt with it well.

CHANCE FOR CITY! City earn themselves a corner. Rodri plays it towards the back of the box where Ake is stood completley unmarked. Ake connects with a beautifuly and forces Glazer to make a low left-hand save.

Rodri goes for goal from 20 yards out. He picks up the ball on the corner of the box, takes a touch and fires a shot off. However, Red Star did well to scramble across and make the block.

HAALAND HITS THE BAR! Foden drives down the left-hand-side and plays majestic ball into the middle of the box. Haaland looses his defender and heads it towards goal but it hits off the cross bar! I think the Norweigan was going for power… he’ll be disappointed with that!

The first yellow card of the game has been dished out. It goes to Rodri after he showed his studs and clipped his opponent when challenging for a high ball.

Chance for Haaland! A ball was floated into the box for the Norwegian. However, it looked as though Haaland had planned to chest it down and shoot… but he completely misjudged it and the ball ended up hitting him on the head and flying over the bar.

Another chance for City! Alvarez picks up the ball in the centre, drives to the left after some lovely movement from Haaland opened the space up. Alvarez fired it towards goal. However, his shot was directed straight at Glazer.

Huge save! City worked the ball down the right-hand-side before playing it to Rodrigo at the top of the box. He controls it well despite facing some physicality from the Red Star defender. Rodrigo drives it into the box and unleashes an absolute rocket. Glazer does incredibly well to make the save.

City are camped out in Red Star’s half. They are working the ball nicely from side to side, playing in and out of the pockets as they edge their way closer to the box. City’s wingers are also doing well to advance down the flanks and test Red Star’s defence.

Foden goes for a bicycle kick! The England youngster did well to break down play and launch a counter attack for Man City. His pass to Haaland was a little sloppy, forcing the Norweigan to recycle the ball. However, it made its way to Matheus Nunes, who played a lovely ball into the box. Foden went for a bicycle kick but his positioning was all wrong.

Chance for Phil Foden! He recieves the ball on the edge of the box, takes a touch and fires it towards goal. His effort was deflected, sending it out for a corner, but the real concern is Red Star’s lack of urgency to get out and close him down.

England manager Gareth Southgate is in attendance this evening…

City are getting far too much time in the middle. They are reciving the ball, turning, driving forwards and playing passes in behind the Red Star defence. If Red Star don’t change something soon, City WILL score.

Nathan Ake finds himself in the middle of the box after a corner broke down. Phil Foden latches onto the loose ball and fires it back into the box. Ake he tries to connect with it first time but misses. Red Star regain possession.

Rodri earns City their first corner of the game. It’s played into the middle of the box. Matheus Nunes does well to rise above his defender but couldn’t keep his header down. As a result, the ball went flying over the bar.

As expected, City have settled into the game. They are playing the ball in and out of the pockets nicely. They have a lot of time to turn and look forwards. Red Star need to put City’s midfield under more pressure.

Bit of a sloppy start for City. Couple of loose touches from Walker and Foden. Could be because of the conditions though as there was a downpour ahead of kick off.

And… just like that, we’re underway! It is Red Star who kicked off proceedings. It’s a big night for both teams – particularly City. They are looking to become only the second club to defend the Champions League title since the European Cup’s rebrand in 1992.

The trophy has been paraded out. The teams are in the tunnel. The atmosphere is picking up. It’s not long until the action is underway. Make sure you stay tuned!

Here’s a reminder of the teams…

Manchester City starting XI | Ederson, Walker (C), Dias, Ake, Gomez, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Nunes, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland

Red Star Belgrade starting XI: Glazer, Mijailovic, Djiga, Dragovic, Rodic, Hwang, Stamenic, Bukari, Ivanic, Mitrovic, Ndiaye

City claimed the famous trophy for the first time last season, beating Inter Milan in the final and completing a historic treble in he process.

City dispatched of Ancelotti’s Madrid in the semi-finals, thrashing them 4-0 at the Etihad after a 1-1 draw in Madrid.

Red Star are making five changes to the team that lost 2-1 to FK Cukaricki in the Serbian top-flight on Saturday.

Uros Spajic and Kosta Nedeljkovic are being replaced by Srdan Mijailovic and Nasser Djiga in the backline.

While Hwang In-beom, Osman Bukari and Stefan Mitrovic are coming in for Peter Olayinka, Vladimir Lucic and Kings Kangwa this evening.

“I remember Red Star. I remember when I was a young boy, [Diego] Maradona playing there and make a goal when he kicked the ball over the keeper.

“I remember that fresh in my memory and the amazing squad. Always is a nice atmosphere. I remember perfectly well in Croatia. The culture for Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro this kind. Lovely countries and they have an incredible mentality.

“They are competitors. All the incredible athletes water polo, look now [Novak] Djokovic all the incredible athletes. All the competitors. I don’t know why but for the schools for the kids they have something special.

“[They are] so aggressive. In some moments they don’t defend man to man. Sometimes they defend man to man. We have to be ready. [They are] quick in the transitions, good runners.

“Typical system a 5-3-2 when they attack or a 5-2-3 with a lot of players in the final third. We have to be able to read well what we have to do.

“Well I saw last season [Bakhar was] with Maccabi Haifa in a difficult group against Juventus, Benfica and PSG.

“What I saw, because we saw a little bit, my staff analayse what he has done with Maccabi Haifa against Mbappe, Messi and Neymar for example. Very impressed with the courage and bravery to play against them. Doesn’t matter what happened. We think Tuesday is going to be quite similar.”

Red Star Belgrade starting XI: Glazer, Mijailovic, Djiga, Dragovic, Rodic, Hwang, Stamenic, Bukari, Ivanic, Mitrovic, Ndiaye

Subs: Degenek, Spajic, Kanga, Katai, Olayinka, Krasso, Milunovic, Kangwa, Lucic, Kabic, Popovic, Vasiljevic

Manchester City starting XI | Ederson, Walker (C), Dias, Ake, Gomez, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Nunes, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland

SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Phillips, Doku, Gvardiol, Akanji, Bobb, Lewis

Since the Champions League was rebranded in 1992, there has only been one team that managed to defend their crown. That team is Real Madrid. They won the title three times in a row between 2016 and 2018.

“To have won our first five Premier League games of the season is good, but it is just a start. There is so much football left to play but the players are showing once again just how good they are. I am a lucky guy to manage this squad!”

“The support you guys gave us last season made the difference; I really mean that. Some of the nights here in Manchester were very special – nights I will never forget for the rest of my life.

“The players felt your energy and heard your noise, and it helped us. That’s why I was happy we brought the trophy back to Manchester because you all deserved it for the way you helped us. You were AMAZING.”

Manchester City are looking to become only the second club to defend the Champions League title since the European Cup’s rebrand in 1992. So, can they get off on the right foot this evening? Only time will tell.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog for Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Crvena Zvezda – also known as Red Star Belgrade. We’ll be bringing you all the latest news, as well as, minite-by-minute coverage from the game.