Manchester City will host Napoli at the Etihad in their UEFA Champions League opener on Thursday night, looking to continue building momentum after a big win in the derby.
Manchester City are up against the Italian champions, and they will need to produce a strong performance to get the job done vs Napoli. The home side are coming into this game on the back of an impressive victory over Manchester United in the Manchester Derby.
However, Pep Guardiola’s men had lost three of their last four matches prior to that. The hosts cannot afford to underestimate the opposition, and they will need to raise their performance level here. On the other hand, Napoli are on a three-match winning run, and they will certainly fancy their chances against a vulnerable Manchester City side.
It will be interesting to see if they can produce a strong performance. Antonio Conte is a world-class manager who knows how to grind out important results. He will certainly look to set up his side in a way so that they can exploit Manchester City’s vulnerabilities. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola will be bereft of the services of Mateo Kovacic, Omar Marmoush, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Rayan Cherki on Thursday. Manchester City are likely to shape up in a 4-1-4-1 formation vs Napoli, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.
Abdukodir Khusanov and Rico Lewis are set to start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and contribute in the attack. Ruben Dias will form the central defensive partnership alongside Josko Gvardiol.
As for the midfield unit, Rodri will start as the defensive midfielder here. He will look to break up the opposition’s attacking moves and protect the back four. Nico Gonzalez will start in the advanced midfield role alongside Phil Foden. The two players will look to add control and creativity to the side.
Savinho and Oscar Bobb will start on the flanks, and they will look to add unpredictability and cutting edge in the final third. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City vs Napoli on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, Lewis; Rodri; Savinho, Gonzalez, Foden, Bobb; Haaland
Napoli
Antonio Conte will be without Romelu Lukaku, Nikita Contini, and Amir Rrahmani on Thursday. Napoli are likely to shape up in a 4-1-4-1 formation as well vs Manchester City, with Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in goal.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Leonardo Spinazzola will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit Manchester City on the break. Sam Beukema will start alongside Alessandro Buongiorno at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Stanislav Lobotka will add defensive cover and physicality, while Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa will add drive and physicality to the side from the middle of the park, and Kevin De Bruyne will add creativity and cutting edge against his former team.
Matteo Politano and Scott McTominay will be deployed on the flanks. They will help out defensively and contribute in the attack. Finally, Rasmus Hojlund will lead the line for Napoli vs Manchester City on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; Lobotka; Politano, Frank Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Højlund
Key Stats
14 goals have been scored in the last four matches between these two teams.
Manchester City are unbeaten in three of theie last four matches against Napoli.
Manchester City have lost three of their last five matches in all competitions.
Napoli have won their last three matches in all competitions.
Erling Haaland is one goal away from reaching 50 in the UEFA Champions League (48 appearances), and looks all but assured to set a new record for fewest appearances to 50 Champions League goals. The current best is 62 games, achieved by Ruud van Nistelrooij in 2007.
Player to Watch
Kevin De Bruyne
Embed from Getty Images
The Belgian international midfielder is our key player to watch out for. The veteran playmaker is a world-class player, and he could make a huge difference for Napoli in the final third. He will know how to exploit the vulnerability of his former side, and it remains to be seen whether he can make a defining impact against Manchester City.
Manchester City will need to keep him quiet if they want to pick up a comfortable victory here. Napoli will need De Bruyne to step up and produce in the final third if they want to break down the Manchester City defence and create opportunities here. It will be interesting to see if he can deliver for his team.
Prediction
Manchester City 1-1 Napoli
Both teams are packed with quality, and this is likely to be a close contest. Despite the injury problems, they have enough depth in the side to produce a strong performance here. It will be difficult to separate the two side, and they could end up cancelling each other out. Both Manchester City and Napoli are likely to get on the score sheet, but they are likely to share the spoils in a draw.