Man City vs Young Boys predictions: Citizens to prove too strong for Swiss champions

Jack Ogalbe
Spotlight
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will have been pleased by his side's start to their Champions League defence
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will have been pleased by his side's start to their Champions League defence

- Holders Manchester City have won all three of their Champions League games this season 
- Young Boys have taken just one point from their three matches 
- Recommended bet: Manchester City to win and Both Teams to Score

Holders Manchester City continue their Champions League defence with a home match against Group G rivals Young Boys on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola's side beat Bournemouth 6-1 on Saturday, while their opponents were also in winning form, triumphing 4-1 at Winterthur.

However, they lost last month's reverse fixture 3-1 and were also defeated by the same scoreline at home to RB Leipzig, with a draw against Crvena Zvezda the best they have managed to date.

Meanwhile, City have won all three of their Champions League matches 3-1 and will be confident of gaining another three points against Raphael Wicky's side.

Team news

Kevin De Bruyne remains absent for the Citizens with the hamstring injury that has sidelined him since the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

Guardiola may look to rotate with an eye on Sunday's trip to Chelsea, with the likes of Matheus Nunes and Jack Grealish candidates to start, while Erling Haaland may not be risked after being withdrawn at half-time against Bournemouth with a twisted ankle.

For the visitors a foot issue means Lukasz Lakomy will miss Tuesday's match and has joined Kastriot Imeri on the sidelines. 

Imeri is a long-term absentee with a knee issue and is unlikely to feature again this season.

The stats

Manchester City have won their last four games in all competitions, scoring 14 goals in the process.

Haaland has netted five of those, including a brace in his side's 3-1 win in Bern.

In fact, all three of City's Champions League outings have finished as 3-1 victories.

Young Boys have won their last two games, but have claimed just one point in this season's Champions League, drawing 2-2 against Crvena Zvezda.

Meschack Elia has scored two of their goals, but they have struggled defensively, conceding eight times in their three Champions League Group G outings. 

Prediction

Young Boys' boss Raphael Wicky will hope his side can cause an upset on Tuesday
Young Boys' boss Raphael Wicky will hope his side can cause an upset on Tuesday

City's performance in their weekend win over Bournemouth was another example of their ability to control games and then strike at the slightest sign of weakness.

They will expect to dominate again against a Young Boys side lacking true top-level talent and who will look to frustrate them.

How long the Swiss champions can hold out could define the match and they might feel sitting deep and striking on the break could be their best chance of grabbing a goal, as was the case for Crvena Zvezda.

Another 3-1 in City's favour is available at 11/1, but their current form hints that they could go bigger, although one clean sheet in their last eight matches shows they are still far from watertight at the back.

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Tags

Champions LeagueManchester CityYoung Boys