Monaco vs Manchester City Preview – Champions League Group Stage
The Champions League brings a tasty clash on Wednesday night as Monaco welcome Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to Stade Louis II. The Sky Blues are chasing a fifth win from six across all competitions, while the French outfit are still reeling from their opening defeat to Club Brugge.
Match Preview
Manchester City enter the tie in fine form, having seen off Napoli 2-0 in their first European outing. Goals from Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku sealed the points at the Etihad, adding to an unbeaten run that now stretches five matches. Domestically, they battered Burnley 5-1 last weekend and continue to look every inch the powerhouse they’ve been under Guardiola.
Yet, one concern lingers for City – their away record in the Champions League. The defending champions have lost four straight away games in Europe, something Monaco will look to exploit.
Monaco, meanwhile, had a rough start. A 4-1 humbling against Club Brugge left Adi Hütter’s men on the back foot early in the group stage. Their domestic form has been chaotic too, with a 5-2 win over Metz followed by a damaging 3-1 defeat at Lorient. Defensively shaky, but always a threat in attack, Les Monegasques could still cause a surprise.
Head-to-Head
These two sides famously met in the 2016/17 Champions League round of 16, producing a thrilling 6-6 draw on aggregate, with Monaco going through on away goals. Since then, City have gone on to dominate Europe, while Monaco have struggled to match those heights.
Team News
City’s midfield anchor Rodri remains a doubt with a knee problem, while Abdukodir Khusanov, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are still sidelined. Haaland, who netted his 50th Champions League goal in record time, is set to spearhead the attack again.
For Monaco, Paul Pogba is still not ready to make his debut, while Denis Zakaria, Aleksandr Golovin, Lamine Camara, and Lukas Hradecky are all unavailable. Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati has been a bright spark, scoring four times in just three appearances, and he may be rewarded with a starting role.
Odds (via major bookmakers)
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Monaco win: 6/1
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Draw: 17/4
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Man City win: 2/5
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Both teams to score: 8/11
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Haaland to score anytime: 4/6
Prediction
Monaco are always dangerous going forward, but with a depleted midfield and a leaky defence, they could be overrun by City’s firepower. Guardiola’s men are ruthless in these situations, and even with their shaky away form in Europe, they look too strong here.
👉 Winonbetonline Prediction: Monaco 1-3 Manchester City