The Citizens had plans to fly out to Germany this afternoon, but inclement weather forced a delay in those arrangements. Severe wind warnings for Saxony are currently in effect until midnight, though the City remains hopeful of arriving later this evening.
In light of the weather-related travel complications, Pep Guardiola’s press conference had to be cancelled, with the event taking place remotely from the training ground instead.
This situation echoes a recent incident involving Newcastle, who risked potential penalties from UEFA when Eddie Howe was unable to attend his pre-match press conference in Milan two weeks ago. Their travel plans were similarly disrupted by adverse weather, resulting in their late arrival in Italy.
These weather-related travel issues have been a recurring concern for Premier League clubs in European competitions this season. Arsenal and Manchester United also encountered problems.
The Arsenal squad found themselves stranded at Luton Airport as their private plane was grounded due to the storms that affected southern England.
They had intended to arrive in Lille at 5pm UK time, followed by a 40-minute drive to Lens, but Manager Mikel Arteta’s scheduled press conference had to be canceled due to significant delays.
Manchester United also experienced delays in their Champions League opener against Bayern Munich a fortnight ago.
Despite these travel challenges, Manchester City managed to come from behind and secure a victory in their opening game against Red Star Belgrade at the Etihad Stadium.
The reigning champions are considered favorites to retain their title and are expected to perform well in their group, which also features Young Boys.
Manchester City performance and stats
Manchester City
Manchester City is currently 2nd in the Champions League with 3 points.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 3 goals and conceding 1.
Manchester City will play the next match in Champions League against RB Leipzig on Wednesday 4th of October in Leipzig. The prediction is Manchester City winning the match.
