Man City were dominant in their last European outing as they put Borussia Dortmund to the sword in a 4-1 victory on home turf. The hosts were freely able to carve out chances, as Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki all got on the scoresheet, while Tijjani Reijnders pulled the strings in midfield with two assists.

That result should give Pep Guardiola’s men plenty of confidence, given how Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are a similar calibre of opponent. Man City will welcome a return to the Etihad this week where they have won seven successive matches in front of a home support, including notable wins against Liverpool, Bournemouth and Napoli.

While Leverkusen have also been in good form, they have struggled against the top sides. Die Werkself lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich at the start of November, and suffered a heavy 7-2 defeat against PSG in the Champions League.

Although the game against PSG was heavily influenced by red cards, Leverkusen didn’t offer much resistance on that occasion (7-2 defeat). Leverkusen faced Bayern not long after that defeat, and despite Vincent Kompany opting for significant rotation with Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz all benched, Beyern had the lions’ share of possession and were able to press home their advantage.

The Bavarians racked up 10 corners in that game as the visitors struggled to get out of their own half - Leverkusen managed just seven shots worth a lowly 0.23xG. Even 15th-placed Wolfsburg cleared this line comfortably against Die Werkself at the weekend, racking up nine corners.

Leverkusen have surrendered the fourth-most corners in the German top flight this season, averaging 6.56 corners against per away match in all competitions. Meanwhile, Man City rank fourth in the Premier League for total corners, and they are averaging 7.38 corners per game at the Etihad.

Erling Haaland posted a rare blank at the weekend as he failed to score for only the second game this season. However, the Norwegian international still had his fair share of chances - of his five shots, two hit the target, while he also missed two big chances.

Haaland tends to bounce back strongly from his setbacks, which doesn’t bode well for Leverkusen. After failing to score against Tottenham in round two of the Premier League, Haaland bounced back with a goal against Brighton, racking up seven shots with three on target in that game. He also blanked against Aston Villa in October, but followed that up with a brace against Bournemouth.

Haaland is on track to have his most prolific season to date, with 19 goals for Man City in just 16 appearances. That is even before taking into consideration the 13 goals in five games he has for Norway.

Jarell Quansah has had to watch on from the bench in the last two matches, with Leverkusen skipper Robert Andrich preferred to start in the backline. However, Kasper Hjulmand is likely to opt for more defensive cover against Man City, so Andrich could slot back into midfield alongside Aleix Garcia, with Quansah re-called at the back. The former Liverpool man has valuable experience against Man City, and facing Haaland in particular.

He will also find himself on the same flank as Jeremy Doku, who is averaging 2.86 fouls drawn per 90 this season. The Belgian international comes into this clash full of confidence, in a rich vein of form. In the Champions League, he has drawn 12 fouls from his four appearances, which is the most of any City player. Based on that, it could be a long night for Quansah at the back.

It has been a real breakthrough campaign for Nico O’Reilly, as he has established himself as the starting left back under Pep Guardiola this season. His impressive performances earned him a call-up to the England squad, while he also scored his first goal of the season against Bournemouth at the start of November.

Confidence is sky-high for the 20-year-old, and he has been particularly proactive in the final third. The English international has hit this mark in all three Champions League outings so far, against Napoli, Monaco and Dortmund.

O’Reilly does tend to pop up in promising positions as the spare man in the box, and if Leverkusen are to sit deep, he should once again be able to advance forward. Standing at 6’3, O’Reilly is also a major box presence and aerial threat - he managed a shot on target against Napoli which came from a corner situation.

Phil Foden has had his critics over the last year or so, but the English international has looked more determined than ever to prove himself in recent weeks. He has been playing with an increased vigor and intensity, which has reflected in his foul counts - Foden has committed a foul in nine of his last 11 starts in all competitions, which makes this price really stand out.

The 25-year-old is also averaging 1.3 tackles per 90 in all competitions this season, a significant increase on his average of 0.57 tackles per 90 last season. In 45 appearances across all competitions for Man City last term, Foden picked up just two yellow cards - he already has three yellows to his name after just 15 appearances this campaign.

Nico Gonzalez racked up three fouls against Newcastle at St James’ Park at the weekend, and was incredibly fortunate to escape a booking. The Spain international has been starting in defensive midfield for Man City this season, emulating Rodri, who continues to be hindered by injury. 

City are not quite as adept at retaining possession as they used to be, meaning Gonzalez has plenty of duels to get through. The 23-year-old is averaging 1.45 fouls per 90 this season in all competitions, while he has also picked up three bookings. 

Leverkusen are likely to sit deep at the Etihad and look to play on the counter. Patrik Schick will be the primary outlet for the German side, and he is averaging 1.33 fouls drawn per 90 this season. Leverkusen will pose a threat in transition, and Gonzalez is no stranger to a cynical foul.