Group F leaders Manchester City take on Italian side Napoli in Italy next week, with anything but a defeat for the Premier League side securing their place in the knockout stages of this seasons Champions League. However, with the Serie A leaders having shown themselves to be more than a match for City just last week, it could well be another close encounter.
Champions League – Stadio San Paolo, Naples – Wednesday 1st November – 19:45 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 13/8 at Ladbrokes |
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Napoli
Manchester_cityMatch Preview
Napoli are in desperate need of three points against City next week, with the Italian side having lost two of their three European matches so far in Group F. Maurizio Sarri’s men are unbeaten in Serie A this season however, making this an extremely difficult clash to predict. With a whole host of talent on display, including the likes of Sergio Aguero, Dries Mertens and Kevin de Bruyne, neutral fans are also set to be in for a treat in Naples next week.
Napoli Team News & Form
Napoli were unable to claim all three points for the first time in Serie A at the weekend, however a goalless draw with rivals Inter Milan means they still sit top of the standings. The attacking trio of Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon are once again set to line-up against Pep Guardiola’s men, with the Belgian hoping to make up for his penalty miss at the Etihad last week. It is in defence where the Italians have struggled in the competition so far, conceding five goals in just three matches. However, with Sarri’s men sitting three points behind Shakhtar Donetsk in the standings, it is likely to be an attacking display from the home side.
Manchester City Team News & Form
The Premier League leaders extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table with a 3-0 win over Burnley at the weekend, with Guardiola having rested both Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling for the encounter. It remains to be seen how City will line-up in Naples, with the likes of Jesus, Sterling, Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane all vying for attacking positions. City have conceded just one goal in the Champions League so far, with the partnership between John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi improving all of the time. Both Vincent Kompany and Benjamin Mendy remain absent through injury however.
Head to Head
Before their meeting at the Etihad Stadium last week, where City claimed a narrow 2-1 victory, the two teams had last met back in 2011 in the same competition, with Napoli earning a point away from home. Before this, the Premier League side came out on top at the Stadio San Paolo. With very few meetings between the two clubs in the past, making predictions based on this area is difficult.
Betting Odds and Predictions
As a result of their narrow victory last time around, many of the online bookmakers have the duo at similar odds heading into this clash. Napoli can be backed at best odds of 13/8 with Ladbrokes, while the same bookmakers have City as the 7/5 slight favourites.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to back both teams to score during the 90 minutes, which can be backed at odds of 8/13 with Ladbrokes.