October 1, 22:00. Bratislava. National Football Stadium.
Champions League. Group Stage. Matchday 2
Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) – Manchester City (England)
Where to Watch: RAINBOW
Suspended Players: None
Injured: Kenan Bajric (doubtful), Lukas Paushek – Kevin De Bruyne (doubtful), Nathan Ake, Oscar Bobb, Rodri
Slovan vs Manchester City: Betting Odds
This marks the first time Manchester City will travel to Slovakia, where they have the chance to equal the record set by their “red neighbors”; from 2007 to 2009, Manchester United managed the longest unbeaten streak in the Champions League (European Cup) with 25 matches, while City currently stands at 24.
About Slovan
In Bratislava, fans are overjoyed at Slovan’s historic first appearance in the Champions League group stage. Even a heavy defeat in their opening match against Celtic (1:5) has not dampened the Slovakians’ excitement and joy. The defeat in Glasgow only highlighted the class difference between Slovan and the majority of other Champions League participants, making it clear that for Vladimir Weiss’s squad, gaining at least 2-3 points would be considered a significant success. The joy in Slovakia is predominantly fueled by the prospect of witnessing European football giants up close.
Following their trip to Scotland, Slovan returned to tackle their national league duties, where the “Sky Blues” are performing exceptionally well. Vladimir Weiss’s team secured victories against Ruzomberok (2:1) and Zemplin (4:2), and in between these games, they thrashed third-division side Belusha (6:1) in the Slovak Cup.
About Manchester City
The arrival of the 2022-2023 European champions in Slovakia has understandably generated tremendous excitement. However, for Slovan, facing Manchester City comes at a rather challenging time. Pep Guardiola’s team has won only one of their last four matches across all competitions, with that victory occurring in the League Cup against Watford (2:1), a team from the second tier of English football. Moreover, even in that match against the Hornets, the reigning Premier League champions faced difficulties; a late goal in regulation time made for a nervy finish for Manchester City.
As a result, the expectations in Manchester are high for the “Citizens” to respond to their recent setbacks, including losing the Premier League lead due to two consecutive draws against Arsenal (2:2) and Newcastle (1:1). Consequently, Pep Guardiola might limit rotation and present a strong lineup, with Erling Haaland spearheading the attack – a player who was quiet in the opening match of the group stage.
Slovan vs Manchester City: Author’s Prediction
According to pre-match simulations conducted by Opta, Manchester City has emerged victorious in over 80% of the 10,000 simulations (82.2%). Only Barcelona has a higher win probability for the second round, at 82.6%. I don’t believe Slovan can pull off a major upset, even securing a draw against the “Cityzens” would be deemed a significant shock. I expect a confident victory for Pep Guardiola’s team, and my pick is a -1.5 handicap for Manchester City in the first half.
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