Aït Nouri Returns to City Fold as Haaland Headlines Attack Against Newcastle

Match setting

Aït Nouri returns to Manchester City's squad after a spell away in Morocco as City face Newcastle United at Saint James' Park in the first leg of the English League Cup semi-final. Erling Haaland is named to lead the line for City, with a few youngsters and rotation players sprinkled into the starting XI. Gianluigi Donnarumma is on the bench for City, while James Trafford starts in goal.

Lineups

City's starting XI features: goalkeeper James Trafford; defense Núñez, Khosanov, Allen, Ake; midfield Bernardo Silva, Oriol, Foden; attack Simeone, Haaland, Doku. For Newcastle, Eddie Howe picks his usual setup with Nick Pope in goal, a back four including Miley, Thiow, Botman and Hall, and a midfield trio of Joelinton, Guimarães, and Ramsey, with Murphy, Wisa and Gordon leading the attack from the front. Substitutes include Donnarumma for City and a notable cast on the bench for Newcastle such as Trippier and Tonali.

Second leg and takeaway

The return leg is scheduled for February 4 at the Etihad, with the tie to be decided on aggregate. City will hope the fresh legs and Haaland's ruthless form carry them through, while Newcastle aim to level the tie at home before heading to Manchester.

Punchline 1: The only thing sharper than City's top-class pass is the scoreboard after Haaland’s shots—security cameras at the net must be on high alert.

Punchline 2: Newcastle's defense plans look solid on paper; on the pitch, Haaland's runs turn it into a scavenger hunt where the ball always knows the quickest route to the goal.