Manchester City vs Young Boys prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-11-06 20:00.
Manchester City are already on the cusp of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League (UCL) knockout stages having won all three of their group games 3-1. It was even more comfortable for Pep Guardiola’s side at the weekend as they brushed aside Bournemouth 6-1, and their fourth consecutive competitive victory saw them end Saturday on top of the Premier League table.
Only once has an English side ever won more than the Cityzens’ current run of 22 competitive home games in a row, while they’ve also won nine straight UCL games at the Etihad Stadium, making it hard to see how anyone stops the reigning champions. Even an ankle injury to Erling Haaland may not inconvenience them too much, particularly if Jérémy Doku stars as he did against Bournemouth on Saturday (G1, A4)!
While Young Boys are unbeaten since losing to Man City on matchday three (W2, D1) and top the Swiss Super League, they have just one UCL point to their name this term (D1, L2). Already five points behind second-placed RB Leipzig, manager Raphaël Wicky knows exactly what his side has to do if they’re to get anything here, claiming his side must “play a perfect game”.
He’s managed it before when he led Basel to a 2-1 victory here in November 2018, but his current club have never won a UCL group-stage fixture away from home (D2, L5), including two winless trips to Old Trafford against Manchester United in the space of five years (D1, L1). In fact, Young Boys have never won a European fixture in England (D2, L3), with all five of those matches played since the start of 2010.
Players to watch: Rodri has scored between the 65th and 75th minute in two of Man City’s last four UCL games, including last season’s final-winning strike. With far less success in his scoring appearances, three of Meschak Elia’s four goals for Young Boys this term were their only goal of the game – all three came in defeats!
Hot streak: Young Boys haven’t scored before the 20th minute across their last 11 UCL games (W2, D4, L5).