Manchester City vs Napoli predictions: De Bruyne coming back to bite Citizens
Manchester City have won two and lost two in the Premier League season
Napoli have won three out of three in Serie A and top the table
Recommended bet: Draw
Manchester City bounced back from two Premier League defeats with a fine 3-0 win in the Manchester derby and will be hoping to kick on after a stuttering start.
However, City legend Kevin De Bruyne is back with Napoli just months after leaving the Etihad and will be out to take all three points for his new club.
The Italians lead the way in Serie A after beating Fiorentina 3-1 on Saturday and will want to make a big impact in the Champions League this season.
The latest Manchester City vs Napoli odds are available on LiveScore Bet.
Team news
City will be without Omar Marmoush after he picked up a knee injury while on international duty with Egypt.
Rayan Cherki is out until November with a thigh issue and Mateo Kovacic is still sidelined following Achilles surgery, while the game may also come too soon for Rayan Ait-Nouri, though John Stones could return to the matchday squad.
Napoli, meanwhile, are without striker Romelu Lukaku, while the game at the Etihad will likely come too soon for Amir Rrahmani, who missed Saturday's clash at Fiorentina after picking up a muscle injury while on international duty with Kosovo.
The stats
All four of the previous meetings between City and Napoli in Europe have been in the group stage of the Champions League.
City were winless in 2011/12 (drawing one and losing one) before winning home and away in 2017/18.
Napoli have never won away to an English side in any European competition and have lost at least once against six of the seven different teams they have faced – Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds, Liverpool and City – with Leicester being the only exception after a 2-2 draw in the Europa League in 2021/22
This will be the 17th Champions League campaign for Pep Guardiola as a manager, taking him level with Jose Mourinho.
Only three managers have been involved in more since the 1992/93 competition rebrand – Carlo Ancelotti (22), Arsene Wenger (20) and Sir Alex Ferguson (18)
Napoli will be the fifth different team Antonio Conte has managed in the Champions League, after Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Tottenham.
The latest Manchester City vs Napoli odds are available on LiveScore Bet.
Prediction
City will face Napoli with confidence restored having beaten rivals United so convincingly after a rough start to the Premier League campaign.
With Erling Haaland among the goals and new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma between the sticks, City possess matchwinners at both ends of the pitch.
However, Napoli boast their own star quality and are a formidable opponent for City to come up against so early in this Champions League campaign.
All eyes will be on De Bruyne as he makes an emotional return to the place he called home for a decade, but the team from Naples have top players in every position and so City will have to be on their A-Game.
Rasmus Hojlund, on loan from Manchester United, is expected to start for Napoli after notching his first goal on debut in the win over La Viola and the Italians are dangerous going forward.
With both sides capable of hurting the other, a score draw is the likely outcome at the Etihad on Thursday.
