Man City alter Champions League routine as Stefan Ortega outlines season aim

Manchester City will try to keep up their 100 per cent start in the Champions League group stages when they face Young Boys in Switzerland on Wednesday.

The Blues dominated both of their opening matches against Red Star Belgrade and RB Leipzig although got caught out with sucker-punch goals before coming back to win the tie. Pep Guardiola will be hoping for a simpler game at the Wankdorf Stadium although he has had to change his team’s normal pre-match routine due to pitch conditions.

He is set to welcome Ederson back into the side after resting him in Saturday’s win over Brighton having not long travelled back from Brazil amid the international break. His replacement, Stefan Ortega, says he is not at the Etihad to simply make up the numbers, though.

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City have made a change to their Champions League preparations to try to get used to playing on an artificial pitch.

Since the pandemic, the Blues have preferred to train at the City Football Academy the day before an away game in the competition before flying out to do a press conference at the stadium where they will play.

UEFA rules dictate that the media duties must take place at the host ground - unless exceptional circumstances prevent it, such as the storm that delayed City's flight to Leipzig - but are not as strict with training.

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Ortega said he is too ambitious to be happy on the bench as City's No.2 aims to start more games.

The German goalkeeper has impressed since signing on a free transfer last summer from Arminia Bielefeld after quickly winning the trust of Pep Guardiola and his