Champions League Preview: Manchester City vs Napoli – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Etihad Stadium forms the backdrop for a mouth-watering Champions League showdown between Manchester City and Napoli. Thursday’s encounter in Manchester is one of the standout fixtures of the opening matchday.

Kevin De Bruyne’s return to his old stomping ground is one of the major talking points. Indeed, the Belgian playmaker left Man City after ten years to join Napoli in the summer. De Bruyne boasts an iconic status at the Etihad.

During his trophy-laden decade-long stint at Man City, he won as many as 19 major titles, including an unprecedented four consecutive Premier League trophies. However, he will return to familiar surroundings as a foe.

Man City stuttered in the newly formatted league phase last term, advancing into the knockouts on the final matchday. Therefore, Pep Guardiola expects his side to get the new campaign off to a winning start, bidding to avoid another stressful run.

The Cityzens head into proceedings in a buoyant mood after demolishing bitter rivals Manchester United 3-0 last weekend. Yet, Napoli can match City’s optimism as they’ve enjoyed a formidable start to their Serie A title defense.

Antonio Conte’s charges have won all three league matches this season, including a 3-1 rout of Fiorentina on Saturday. Translating that form onto the continental stage sits high on Conte’s list of priorities as he chases an elusive first European title.

Match Preview

Manchester City

Erling Haaland’s match-winning double inspired Man City to more than just bragging rights in Sunday’s Manchester derby. It helped Guardiola’s side bounce back from back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, lifting their spirits ahead of Napoli’s visit.

As aforementioned, last season was underwhelming for the Cityzens. For context, they suffered as many as five of their last seven games en route to a dismal knockout playoff exit (W1, D1). That’s as many defeats as they had in their previous 61 European outings.

Another disappointing result is on the cards here. Despite his elite status in European management, Guardiola finds Conte a bogey opponent. Indeed, the Italian is a rare manager to boast a positive record against the Man City boss (W4, L3).

Connoisseurs of action-packed football must be enthusiastic about this match-up, particularly considering that six of Man City’s last seven Premier League fixtures have seen both teams on the scoresheet. That highlights the potential for an open, end-to-end affair.

Napoli

Napoli return to Europe’s top table after a season-long absence, with Conte set to coach his fifth side in the Champions League table. Conte’s wealth of experience could be critical to Napoli’s bid to thrive on the continent’s grandest stage.

However, today’s visit to Manchester doesn’t favor Napoli, given their slightly negative all-time record against Man City (W1, D1, L2). As if that’s not troubling enough, the reigning Scudetto holders have never won a European fixture on English soil (D3, L9).

Breaking that drought hinges on Napoli’s ability to buck another unwanted trend. They have gone winless in their last four Thursday-held matches across all competitions (D3, L1). In addition, they’ve struggled for success in their five most recent Champions League games (W1, D2, L2).

Yet, Napoli’s newfound defensive resilience could help them turn the corner. Indeed, the Italian giants have only conceded once in three Serie A outings this term.

Team News

Man City will be without several first-team stars as the injury crisis at the Etihad doesn’t subside. Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Mateo Kovacic are not in contention for the squad. Moreover, this clash will come too soon for John Stones, who’s still out with a muscle problem.

On the other hand, Napoli cannot call upon star striker Romelu Lukaku and first-choice center-back Amir Rrahmani. Man Utd loanee Rasmus Hojlund should take Lukaku’s place in attack. Meanwhile, Sam Beukema will likely replace the Kosovo international at the heart of Conte’s back four.

Manchester City vs Napoli Potential Starting Line-ups

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, Ake; Rodri, Gonzalez; Savinho, Foden, Doku; Haaland.

Napoli (4-1-4-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; Lobotka; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund.

Manchester City vs Napoli Prediction

It’s impossible to count Napoli out before the kick-off, especially given Man City’s topsy-turvy form in the early season. However, Guardiola’s men tend to thrive when the stakes are high. Furthermore, they boast what could prove a crucial home advantage.