Man City have unusual Champions League advantage vs Borussia Dortmund

Manchester City are used to getting no favours from the Premier League in European competitions.

All English teams that play in the Champions League face the same issue every year, where there is little to zero consideration of their matches in that competition when their domestic games are scheduled. The same could even be said this week, with Pep Guardiola's side given the earliest possible kick-off time this coming weekend at Wolves despite playing on Wednesday evening in the toughest continental tournament.

The gripes from the English clubs and their coaches are louder because other leagues help their teams out, giving them extra days to prepare for big European games where in the Premier League teams just have to put up and shut up. It is perhaps no coincidence that no English side has won the league and the Champions League since United in 2008 whereas seven of the 10 non-English winners since then have also claimed the title in their own country.

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The decision by the Premier League to postpone the weekend's fixtures out of respect for the Queen — at a time when basically every other sport went ahead — could yet come back to hurt City and others in Europe. The knockout phases of the Champions League are almost back by the time the match could potentially be rearranged for, and the fixture clog will get even worse if the games coming get the same treatment; City would rather a short turnaround for Wolves after Dortmund than face having to squeeze another game into the final third of the season.

However, in the short term at least, City will in fact be fresher than their Champions League opponents. Guardiola's side will have had