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Champions League
team-logoManchester City
Etihad Stadium
team-logoSSC Napoli
Pranav Venkatesh

Manchester City vs SSC Napoli preview: Team News, H2H, probable lineups, tickets, odds and more

GOAL looks ahead to the sensational Champions League clash between Manchester City and Italian champions Napoli as Kevin De Bruyne returns to the Etihad.

Kevin De Bruyne makes a swift return to the Etihad Stadium to face his ex-side Manchester City just months after leaving them. The UEFA Champions League clash between Manchester City and the Italian champions Napoli will be all about the Belgian legend who sprinkled every blade of grass at the Etihad with his aura.  

Pep Guardiola would be well aware of De Bruyne's threat and has his task cut out. Alarm bells were ringing before the Manchester derby as City lost back-to-back league games. Thanks to Phil Foden and Erling Haaland's sublime goals, they got the result they wanted and rediscovered their spark. With injuries mounting, the squad will be fighting an uphill battle as games come thick and fast.

Antonio Conte's Napoli made a perfect start to life in Italy. With commanding performances and results, they are looking like early title favourites again. Much of it was down to De Bruyne's impact and the usual suspects making their mark. Continental success has, however, eluded them. Both Napoli and Conte would love to go all the way. But the first task ahead of them isn't particularly easy, as Napoli hasn't beaten an English team away from home in any European competition (D3, L9). A win on Thursday night will go a long way for the club.

Manchester City vs Napoli last-minute tickets: How to buy

Want to catch De Bruyne's return to the Etihad live from the ground? Luckily, there are still tickets left to secure a seat for the Manchester City vs Napoli clash.

Official resellers like StubHub and Ticombo are our preferred choices.

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How to watch Manchester City vs SSC Napoli online - TV channels & live streams

The exciting clash between Manchester City and Napoli will be live on TNT Sports 2 in the UK. Discovery+ and Amazon Prime Video stream the game live for the fans in the UK as well. For fans in the US, Paramount+ will be the home of all the Champions League games.

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How to watch anywhere with a VPN

If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.

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Manchester City vs SSC Napoli kick-off time

crest
Champions League - Champions League
Etihad Stadium

Manchester City will take on Napoli at the Etihad Stadium on 18th September at 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 21:00 CET.

Team news & squads

Manchester City vs SSC Napoli lineups

Manchester CityHome team crest

4-1-4-1

Formation

4-1-4-1

Home team crestNAP
25
G. Donnarumma
3
R. Dias
45
A. Khusanov
33
N. O'Reilly
24
J. Gvardiol
11
J. Doku
47
P. Foden
20
C
B. Silva
16
Rodri
4
T. Reijnders
9
Erling Haaland
32
V. Milinkovic-Savic
37
L. Spinazzola
31
S. Beukema
4
A. Buongiorno
22
C
G. Di Lorenzo
11
K. De Bruyne
21
M. Politano
8
S. McTominay
68
S. Lobotka
99
A. Zambo Anguissa
19
R. Hoejlund

4-1-4-1

NAPAway team crest

MCI
-Line up

Substitutes

Manager

  • P. Guardiola

NAP
-Line up

Substitutes

Manager

  • A. Conte

Injuries and Suspended players

Injuries and Suspensions

Injuries and Suspensions

Manchester City team news

  • Haaland has to be the key for the Cityzens as they remain without another senior striker. His fast start to the season will encourage Pep to go for the kill from the start.
  • Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku's scintillating performances on the weekend gave much-needed relief to Pep Guardiola on the chance-creating front. Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki remain sidelined for the foreseeable future.
  • Gianluigi Donnarumma's massive debut gives much hope to a shaky defence as Rayan Ait-Nouri and John Stones are expected to miss out.
  • Probable lineups: Donnarumma; Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, Ake; Rodri, Gonzalel; Bernardo, Foden, Doku; Haaland

SSC Napoli team news

  • Rasmus Hojlund had a fruitful debut with a goal and could potentially offset the long-term loss of Romelu Lukaku, who was excluded from the Champions League squad as well.
  • Scott McTominay and De Bruyne, two very familiar faces to City, could hurt their reeling midfield.
  • Nikita Contini, Alex Meret are out for the game alongside Amir Rrahmani.
  • Probable lineups: Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; Lobotka; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund

Odds & Predictions

Despite Napoli's strong form, the odds favour Manchester City, who have a strong European record at home. Their win is priced at 1.66. Napoli enters the game as underdogs priced at 4.8. A draw is priced at 4.

Form

MCI
-Form

Goal Scored (Conceded)
11/4
Games over 2.5 goals
4/5
Both teams scored
1/5

NAP
-Form

Goal Scored (Conceded)
12/2
Games over 2.5 goals
3/5
Both teams scored
2/5

Head-to-Head Record

MCI

Last 4 matches

NAP

2

Wins

1

Draw

1

Win

8

Goals scored

6
Games over 2.5 goals
3/4
Both teams scored
4/4

Standings

Useful links

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Frequently asked questions

Current title holders Real Madrid are miles ahead of any other club in Europe's most prestigious competition, having gone all the way whopping 15 times – more than twice the number of titles lifted by any other club.

The newest format, introduced ahead of the 2024-25 season, features 36 teams, four more than in the previous format. The competition was known as the European Cup at the time of its inception in 1955 before being rebranded to the UEFA Champions League ahead of the 1992-93 season. In its inaugural edition in 1955-56, only 16 teams contested.

Cristiano Ronaldo sits at the top of the appearance-making charts, having played in 183 Champions League games, representing Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.

No surprises here! It's Mr. Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the leading goalscorer in the Champions League with an astonishing 140 goals to his name!

Cristiano Ronaldo is not just a prolific goalscorer, but also has a keen eye for his team-mates as his record 42 assists in the Champions League prove.

Former Italian goalkeeper Marco Ballotta holds the distinction of being the oldest player ever in the Champions League. Playing for Lazio against Real Madrid in the 2007-08 season, Ballotta was aged 43 years and 252 days.

Borussia Dortmund prodigy Youssoufa Moukoko, currently on loan at Ligue 1 side Nice, is the youngest player ever to feature in a Champions League game. He set the record on December 8, 2020, in Dortmund's group stage fixture against Zenit St. Petersburg, aged 16 years and 18 days.

Gianluigi Buffon, Raul, Robert Lewandowski, Ronaldinho, Clarence Seedorf, Johan Cruyff, Arjen Robben, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Alfredo Di Stefano, Paco Gento, Ferenc Puskas, Toni Kroos, Zinedine Zidane, Paolo Maldini, Lionel Messi, to name a few, are some of the greatest and most famous footballing faces to have graced the Champions League over the decades.

Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez, Frank Rijkaard, Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Zinedine Zidane, Bob Paisley, Rinus Michels, Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, and Arrigo Sacchi are some of the most famous managers to have coached a club in the Champions League.

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