Manchester City travel to Spain on Tuesday looking to take control of their Champions League group when they face a Villarreal side still searching for their first win.
Pep Guardiola’s men are unbeaten in eight games across all competitions. However, they face a Villarreal team unbeaten at home this season, despite dealing with a significant defensive injury crisis.
Villarreal vs Manchester City – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
- Kick-off: 8:00 pm BST
- Venue: Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal
- Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük
- VAR: Rob Dieperink
- Last Meeting: Villarreal 0 – 3 Manchester City, 2 Nov 2011, UEFA Champions League
Team News
Villarreal
The Spanish side face a severe defensive injury crisis. Logan Costa, Willy Kambwala, and Pau Cabanes are all ruled out long-term. In addition, the team expect Juan Foyth to miss out as well. On a positive note, Santiago Mourino returns from suspension, which will bolster the backline. Going forward, Nicolas Pepe will likely provide the main creative threat.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has confirmed a major blow for his side. Influential midfielder Rodri is sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Abdukodir Khusanov also remains out. However, there is good news elsewhere. Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush, and Rayan Aït-Nouri have all returned to fitness. Consequently, they are available for selection tonight, adding significant depth to the squad.
Form
Villarreal
The Yellow Submarine are currently winless in their opening two Champions League games. They first drew with Juventus before losing away at Real Madrid. Their domestic form has been mixed. However, they showed resilience at the weekend, coming from 2-0 down to draw with Real Betis. Crucially, Villarreal remain unbeaten at home this season.
Manchester City
City arrive in Spain unbeaten in their last eight matches, impressively winning six of them. Most recently, they secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Everton at the weekend. While their last European outing resulted in a draw in Monaco, their overall form is strong. Furthermore, they have won both previous meetings against Villarreal.
Predicted Lineups
Villarreal predicted XI: Tenas; Mourino, Rafa Marín, Renato Veiga, Sergi Cardona; Buchanan, Gueye, Partey, Moleiro; Pepe, Mikautadze
Manchester City predicted XI: Donnarumma; Stones, Gvardiol, Dias, O’Reilly; Nico González; Bobb, Foden, Reijnders, Savinho; Haaland
How to watch Villarreal vs Manchester City?
Fans in the UK can watch the match live on TNT Sports. Alternatively, they can stream it on Discovery+. Coverage begins at 7:30 pm BST.
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