Man City vs FK Crvena zvezda LIVE! Champions League result, match stream and latest updates today

Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade LIVE!

Man City began their Champions League title defence with a come-from-behind win over Serbian giants FK Crvena zvezda on Tuesday night. Pep Guardiola’s side finally achieved European glory after so many years of frustration last season, setting the seal on a famous treble as Rodri’s goal saw off Inter Milan in June’s final in Istanbul.

Many are tipping Super Cup holders City to become the first team since Real Madrid to win back-to-back titles in Europe’s premier club competition, but they received a shock on the stroke of half-time on Tuesday as Ghana international winger Osman Bukari broke clear against the run of play to stun the Etihad Stadium.

But City were otherwise dominant and were level two minutes after the restart through Julian Alvarez, who also gave his team the lead on the hour mark after a horrendous error from goalkeeper Omri Glazer. Rodri then scored late for the hosts, who had no fewer than 37 attempts in the game. Follow Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade reaction live below!

Man City vs Red Star Belgrade latest news

• GOAL! Rodri picks out the bottom corner

• GOAL! Alvarez gives City lead after Glazer howler

• GOAA..NO! Walker effort ruled out for offside

• GOAL! Alvarez brings holders level after break

• GOAL! Bukari fires Red Star into shock lead

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

22:00 , George Flood

Full-time

After an unexpected scare, the dominant holders come firing back to make a winning start to their Champions League title defence in Group G.

It’s RB Leizig away up next, probably the toughest game in the group on paper.

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:56 , George Flood

93 mins: Still not falling for Haaland, who will now be up to four consecutive Champions League games without a goal.

That’s an absolute age by his superhuman standards.

He wants a decision from the referee but doesn’t get it.

At the other end, Doku gets back to do some defending to effectively see out the game.

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:53 , George Flood

90 mins: Four minutes of added time signalled.

Can City add further to their lead? Haaland really wants a goal...

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:52 , George Flood

88 mins: City are just going through the motions now as stoppage time beckons.

37 attempts (16 on target) so far tonight from Guardiola’s men. Incredible.

That goes with 77 per cent possession and 12 corners. And they had to come from behind!

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:49 , George Flood

84 mins: Still City push for goal number four and another unconvincing save from Glazer keeps young Bobb at bay.

Just me doing a Rowan Atkinson Blackadder impression with that?

Mijailovic goes down holding his face after a coming together with Haaland, but there was nothing in that.

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:48 , George Flood

A trademark brilliant strike from Rodri to put this game to bed

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:47 , George Flood

82 mins: More Red Star changes as Milos Degenek and Kings Kangwa replace goalscorer Bukari and Hwang.

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:46 , George Flood

80 mins: Stamenic into the book for Red Star as we enter the final 10 minutes.

With the game surely now won, Guardiola goes back to his bench.

Rico Lewis and Kalvin Phillips are on along with young Norwegian midfielder Oscar Bobb, replacing Foden, Rodri and Dias.

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:42 , George Flood

79 mins: Vladimir Lucic is on for Red Star now. Off goes Mitrovic.

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:40 , George Flood

78 mins: Haaland is understandably desperate to get in on the act tonight but it’s just not happening for him in front of goal - not often you can say that.

Doku’s blocked shot brings it up to 35 efforts for City so far tonight. A staggering number.

Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:39 , George Flood

76 mins: City are certainly not content with their 3-1 lead here as they continue to pour forward in search of more goals, almost punishing tired Red Star for having the sheer audacity to score first.

The excellent Alvarez fizzes into the box and leaves a defender in his wake before trying to tee up Haaland.

Foden then whistles a fierce effort over the crossbar with Glazer at full stretch.

GOAL! Manchester City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade | Rodri 73'

21:33 , George Flood

73 mins: And that will be that!

Rodri receives possession after determined work from Foden and strides into the box before bending a wonderful strike into the bottom corner.

Super finish. Does he know any other kind?

Manchester City 2-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:31 , George Flood

70 mins: This Red Star defence are really stretched now as Nunes and Doku combine before the latter’s low effort is repelled by the legs of Glazer.

Dias heads wide after Nunes then forces a corner.

Manchester City 2-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:31 , George Flood

68 mins: Red Star have their first effort since the goal after a cracking run from Ivanic, who slices his attempt well wide.

On come Jean-Philippe Krasso and Peter Olayinka for the visitors.

Ivanic goes off, along with Ndiaye.

Manchester City 2-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:27 , George Flood

65 mins: Bukari briefly threatens again for Red Star before City step their foot on the accelerator.

Rodri bends a great effort wide and Glazer then saves with his knee onto the post from Haaland!

Doku and Ake link up well and the latter’s ball intended for Haaland is deflected into the path of Alvarez, who can only hit the side netting on a hat-trick.

GOAL! Manchester City 2-1 Red Star Belgrade | Julian Alvarez 60’

21:21 , George Flood

60 mins: An absolute howler from Red Star ‘keeper Glazer and City have the lead on the hour mark!

He’s been too punch-happy tonight despite a string of good saves and now pays the price, trying to repel Alvarez’s free-kick delivery to the back post and watching in horror as he misses and the ball flies straight in.

Did he take his eye off the ball with Haaland lurking? Either way, it’s a dismal way for them to fall behind.

Not the the first Glazer to frustrate football fans in Manchester...

Manchester City 1-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:19 , George Flood

57 mins: Alvarez lets fly from outside the box with an awkward strike that slips off the grasp of a diving Glazer, who does very well to deny the follow-up from Haaland, hurting his shoulder in the process.

The Norwegian has been out of luck so far this week.

Manchester City 1-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:18 , George Flood

Here’s the Alvarez equaliser. Lovely footwork indeed from the young World Cup winner...

Manchester City 1-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:16 , George Flood

53 mins: Goooaa... no!

Walker thinks he’s put City ahead after he ghosts in behind Mitrovic to collect Rodri’s scooped pass.

The ball bounces back to him fortunately off Dragovic and the England right-back then finishes beyond Glazer.

But he was offside when the initial pass came over and he’s duly flagged. It won’t count.

1-1 it remains, for now. But relentless City are quickly hunting that lead.

Manchester City 1-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:14 , George Flood

49 mins: Guardiola does not look best pleased with Ederson after his goalkeeper executes a risky backheel in the box under pressure from Ndiaye.

He won’t want to see too many of those!

GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Red Star Belgrade | Julian Alvarez 47'

21:08 , George Flood

47 mins: That certainly didn’t take long!

Just two minutes after the break, Alvarez turns neatly between the lines after receiving possession from midfield and links up wonderfully with Haaland before taking a touch beyond Glazer and knocking in from close range.

City respond brilliantly to being behind at the break for the second time in a matter of days.

And there will be more to come, surely.

Manchester City 0-1 Red Star Belgrade

21:07 , George Flood

Back underway at a shocked Etihad!

Will City come back strong, or are we on for one of the biggest upsets in Champions Leauge history?

Let’s find out...

21:06 , George Flood

Here is that Red Star goal, by the way. Dias tries to step up and gets it all wrong, playing Bukari just onside.

What a moment.

Stat attack

21:01 , George Flood

21:01 , George Flood

Just the 79 per cent possession, 22 shots and 10 corners from City in that first half.

And they are behind! Football, eh? Never ceases to surprise.

Manchester City 0-1 Red Star Belgrade

20:54 , George Flood

Half-time

City absolutely dominated possession and created chance after chance after chance, but incredibly they trail at the interval after Bukari’s breakaway goal.

Who saw this coming?!

GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Red Star Belgrade | Osman Bukari 46’

20:49 , George Flood

46 mins: Well, well, well! How about this! Incredible!

Bukari fires the Serbian giants into a shock lead on the stroke of half-time! The goal is given after a long VAR check for offside. Wow!

The Ghanaian sprinted onto a long ball from Ivanic and slotted expertly past Ederson.

It was a tight, tight call, but the right one. What a story at the Etihad. Wild celebrations from the visitors.

City stunned!

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:47 , George Flood

43 mins: There have been a few uncertain punches to go along with some terrific saves from Glazer, but he’s clinging onto that clean sheet as things stand.

City are going to make a change before half-time. Jeremy Doku is about to come on.

Off goes Bernardo, who looks very disappointed indeed. Not an injury I don’t think, just more of a natural wide threat wanted by Pep.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:45 , George Flood

40 mins: What a save from Glazer again!

It’s point-blank stuff to repel a Foden header from mere yards out.

That really should have been the breakthrough for City with five minutes left until half-time.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:43 , George Flood

38 min: Another top save from Glazer, this time to deny Alvarez.

This is becoming pure shooting practise for City, but still they cannot find a way through with half-time approaching.

Attack versus defence, it’s like a training game. But Red Star won’t care one bit if they somehow emerge with an unlikely point for their committed defensive efforts.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:39 , George Flood

36 mins: Mijailovic blocks Gomez’s stinging volley behind after Bernardo’s cross had been deflected for Rodri, whose chipped ball with Glazer off his line was met by Stamenic.

Really committed defending from Red Star inside their own penalty area.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:37 , George Flood

34 mins: Djiga blocks well from Alvarez before Foden’s cut-back is blazed over by Haaland.

A rare lack of composure from the PFA Player of the Year.

76 per cent possession and 14 shots from dominant City so far, but crucially no goals.

Red Star would be absolutely delighted to go in at half-time level.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:36 , George Flood

32 mins: Rodic brings down Nunes and joins Rodri in the book.

There’s then a very tame effort from Bernardo Silva that was never troubling Glazer in the Red Star goal.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:34 , George Flood

31 mins: Red Star launch their first real attack of the night on the counter, led by Bukari.

He passes out right, with a dangerous low cross repelled by Ederson.

Ghana international Bukari then goes and stays down after being tackled by Rodri.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:33 , George Flood

29 mins: City are really turning the screw now as Glazer sprawls low to his left to keep out a header towards the bottom corner by Ake.

Rodri and Walker have also seen shots blocked.

Surely the goals are coming for City soon!

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:29 , George Flood

26 mins: Woodwork!

So close for dominant City as Haaland rises to meet Foden’s delicious cross and his firm header rattles the underside of the crossbar, bouncing clear.

Did Glazer get a fingertip to that? A vital touch if so.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:28 , George Flood

25 mins: The first yellow of the evening goes not to a Red Star player, but to Rodri for unfairly halting Bukari on the break.

A no-nonsense approach from referee Joao Pinheiro, who has dished out plenty of cards in his native Portugal so far this term.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:27 , George Flood

23 mins: City have the freedom of the Etihad to piece together many of these slick moves through midfield, but then Red Star’s defenders are converging quickly upon the likes of Foden, Alvarez and Haaland inside the box to deny space, block and scramble clear.

City just need to stay patient. The goals will surely come.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:23 , George Flood

20 mins: Haaland has been quiet for City so far, but has a chance when a dangerous cross is misjudged by a rising Djiga.

However, the Norwegian goal machine wasn’t expecting the ball to fall his way and it bounces off his head and wide of the far post.

20 minutes gone and Red Star’s clean sheet remains intact.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:21 , George Flood

17 mins: A more straightforward hold for Glazer this time after Alvarez combines well with Foden and takes aim with a slightly bobbling ball.

A slick move from the reigning champions, though Red Star boss Barak Bakhar will be pleased with how his side have defended so far.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:18 , George Flood

15 mins: Red Star have defended stoically during this first quarter of an hour, but now Israel No1 Glazer is forced into what you imagine will be the first save of many tonight.

Rodri - the final match-winner in Istanbul of course - wins a physical battle with Bukari and loses Dragovic before blasting at goal, with his effort just about shovelled wide in rather unorthodox fashion.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:15 , George Flood

11 mins: Red Star launch their first real counter-attack of the night but it’s solid defending by City captain Walker.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:13 , George Flood

10 mins: Ambitious from Foden as he tries a very difficult swinging overhead kick on his left foot after being picked out by a lofted cross from Nunes.

The ball flies well wide.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:12 , George Flood

9 mins: More nifty passing football from pacy City and Foden drills narrowly over from 25 yards - via a slight deflection, as it turns out.

A third corner for the hosts is well cleared.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:10 , George Flood

5 mins: No clear-cut chances to speak of just yet, but City are absolutely dominating possession. Totally and completely.

This is going to be a long night for Red Star, you can already tell.

Manchester City 0-0 Red Star Belgrade

20:06 , George Flood

2 mins: A dominant start from City in possession as you might expect, with the first real danger for Red Star coming in the form of a Rodri pull-back that is scrambled behind for the game’s first corner.

An unmarked Gomez rises high to meet the delivery from the left, but his header is well off target.

Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade

20:03 , George Flood

Kick-off!

Underway at the Etihad.

Will this be a handsome win to begin City’s Champions League title defence, or can Red Star make a game of it in Group G?

20:02 , George Flood

Sadly a disrupted silence by one lone idiot, who is roundly booed by his fellow fans.

An applause then breaks out instead.

20:01 , George Flood

The players are out and there are loud boos for the Champions League anthem at the Etihad as always.

Some things never change!

We’ll now have a moment of silence in memory of those that have lost their lives in recent tragedies in Morocco and Libya.

19:51 , George Flood

Final preparations at the Etihad!

Bakhar hails Guardiola as ‘best coach in history'

19:40 , George Flood

Red Star boss Barak Bakhar was pleased to get that aforementioned praise from Pep Guardiola, whom he hailed as the greatest manager ever.

However, he is evidently not letting such kind words distract him from the task of trying to cause a gargantuan upset tonight, or at the very least stop his team from being absolutely blown away by rampant City.

“It’s nice to hear that from the best coach in the history of football, for me,” Bakhar told reporters on Monday.

He added: “With all due respect, we have a game and we need to play good and make a good result. I don’t need compliments, I need a good game.”

Five changes from Red Star Belgrade

19:23 , George Flood

Red Star make five changes to the team that lost 2-1 away at FK Cukaricki in the Serbian top-flight on Saturday.

Srdan Mijailovic and Nasser Djiga replace Uros Spajic and Kosta Nedeljkovic in defence.

Hwang In-beom, Osman Bukari and Stefan Mitrovic also come in as Peter Olayinka, Vladimir Lucic and Kings Kangwa all make way.

Red Star Belgrade lineup

19:13 , George Flood

Starting XI: Glazer, Mijailovic, Djiga, Dragovic, Rodic, Hwang, Stamenic, Bukari, Ivanic, Mitrovic, Ndiaye

Subs: Degenek, Spajic, Kanga, Katai, Olayinka, Krasso, Milunovic, Kangwa, Lucic, Kabic, Popovic, Vasiljevic

19:09 , George Flood

The Champions League trophy is present at the Etihad tonight as City commence their title defence.

Erling Haaland spearheads their attack as usual this evening, no doubt looking to improve on his competition-best tally of 12 goals from last term which was four more than nearest rival Mohamed Salah.

Three Man City changes as Ake, Gomez and Nunes start

18:59 , George Flood

So that’s three changes from Pep Guardiola to the team that came from behind to beat West Ham 3-1 in the Premier League on Saturday and maintain Manchester City’s ominous 100 per cent start to the new season.

Two are in defence, with Nathan Ake and Sergio Gomez replacing Manuel Akanji and Josko Gvardiol.

Jeremy Doku also makes way as fellow summer signing Matheus Nunes is handed his first City start in midfield.

Red Star will no doubt have been hoping for a few more alterations.

Manchester City lineup

18:46 , George Flood

Starting XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Gomez, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Nunes, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Phillips, Doku, Gvardiol, Akanji, Bobb, Lewis

Guardiola warns of tough Red Star Belgrade test

18:45 , George Flood

Few give Red Star a prayer of containing City at the Etihad tonight, but Guardiola has warned his side not to get complacent or underestimate an aggressive and counter-attacking opponent that he clearly believes won’t just be content to make up the numbers in Group G.

Guardiola was impressed with Red Star counterpart Barak Bakhar’s work with Maccabi Haifa in last season’s Champions League and his bravery when going toe-to-toe with the likes of Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

“I remember Red Star. I remember when I was a young boy, [Diego] Maradona playing there and make a goal when he kicked the ball over the keeper,” Guardiola told reporters on Monday.

“I remember that fresh in my memory and the amazing squad. Always is a nice atmosphere. I remember perfectly well in Croatia. The culture for Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro this kind. Lovely countries and they have an incredible mentality.

"They are competitors. All the incredible athletes water polo, look now [Novak] Djokovic all the incredible athletes. All the competitors. I don’t know why but for the schools for the kids they have something special.

"[They are] so aggressive. In some moments they don’t defend man to man. Sometimes they defend man to man. We have to be ready. [They are] quick in the transitions, good runners.

“Typical system a 5-3-2 when they attack or a 5-2-3 with a lot of players in the final third. We have to be able to read well what we have to do.

"Well I saw last season [Bakhar was] with Maccabi Haifa in a difficult group against Juventus, Benfica and PSG.

“What I saw, because we saw a little bit, my staff analayse what he has done with Maccabi Haifa against Mbappe, Messi and Neymar for example. Very impressed with the courage and bravery to play against them. Doesn't matter what happened. We think Tuesday is going to be quite similar.”

18:35 , George Flood

The Etihad Stadium is looking very dark and moody pre-match as the nights draw in with autumn upon us.

It doesn’t get much better than Champions League football under the lights.

We should be getting word of the official team news very shortly.

Guardiola hasn’t watched back last season’s final

18:16 , George Flood

Guardiola certainly made clear that he was not content with merely one Champions League title at City, with both club and manager having taken plenty of stick for their seeming inability to last the pace in Europe before their long-awaited maiden triumph in June.

Ex-Barcelona boss Pep has three in the locker now as a manager after failing to guide Bayern Munich to the promised land and is relishing the chance for another shot at glory with arguably the best club team on the planet.

Guardiola even admitted that he had not watched back last season’s final in Istanbul, when Rodri’s side-footed strike midway through the second half broke Inter hearts.

"People say we won it and it's done. It's not done,” the Spaniard said. “They're happy, we're happy. Every time we come here, people take pictures with the four trophies.

"That makes us so happy, you cannot deny, but if I wanted to live for the memories I wouldn't be here. I'd be at home or on a beach.

"I didn't watch the game, no. Not at all. The competition gives us a new challenge so let's at least try - and I don't have any doubt we will try."

Guardiola wants back-to-back Man City titles

18:03 , George Flood

Manchester City would be joining an illustrious club if they did manage to win back-to-back European titles, with Real Madrid the only team to achieve the feat so far in the Champions League era - claiming an unprecedented three in a row between 2016-18.

Before that you have to go all the way back to the European Cup days and the great AC Milan side of Arrigo Sacchi, who won successive crowns in 1989 and 1990.

Guardiola said this week: "I'd like to say that for our club to win the Champions League is incredible - the first time in our history - but, in perspective, how many teams have won the Champions League once?

"A lot have won two, three, four, five. In perspective, we did nothing special. It's just one.

"Let's go. Let's try to win tomorrow against a team so aggressive, so fast up front.

"It's most difficult to win the first one. But every season we start the competition in the first game with the target to win the first game, then the group stage, then try to win the Champions League. Nothing changes from before.

"The same for Red Star. It depends on our performance and our level.

"We're incredibly happy to defend this crown but this competition doesn't allow you mistakes.

"But always we were so strong at home, nine points from nine. When that happens you can win just one game away and you qualify. This is the first step."

Man City vs Red Star Belgrade prediction

17:48 , George Flood

Manchester City could not have wished for a kinder start to their title defence and this should be an opportunity for the lesser-used players to come in and impress.

Man City to win, 5-0.

Red Star Belgrade team news

17:47 , George Flood

The odds are firmly stacked against Red Star Belgrade tonight in what is their first ever competitive meeting with Manchester City.

However, Israeli boss Barak Bakhar - hired from Maccabi Haifa to succeed Milos Milojevic in May - does at least have no known injury worries to contend with for the most difficult of opening Group G assignments at the Etihad.

Red Star’s current squad includes the likes of former Leicester loanee Aleksandar Dragovic.

Man City team news

17:40 , George Flood

Manchester City’s 100 per cent start to the new season has certainly not been without its key setbacks on the injury front.

Kevin De Bruyne could miss the rest of the calendar year with a hamstring injury, while Pep Guardiola is also without the services of John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Jack Grealish tonight.

Nathan Ake could return in defence, though, after coming on as a late substitute in the 3-1 comeback win at West Ham on Saturday.

The likes of Sergio Gomez, Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes will also be pushing to start as Guardiola no doubt ponders changes for a game his team are expected to win heavily.

Where to watch Man City vs Red Star Belgrade

17:36 , George Flood

TV channel: In the UK, tonight’s game will be televised live on TNT Sports 2, with coverage beginning at 7pm.

Live stream: Subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the TNT Sports app and website.

Welcome

17:32 , George Flood

Good evening and welcome to Standard Sport’s second LIVE coverage of the new Champions League campaign.

Tonight we are focused on events at the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City begin their title defence at home to Red Star Belgrade - AKA Crvena Zvezda - in Group G.

Kick-off tonight is at 8pm BST, so stay tuned for all the latest match build-up, breaking team news and live updates from Europe’s biggest club competition.