In the opening round of the new Champions League season, the most anticipated clash is undoubtedly Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the Etihad Stadium. Having joined Serie A champions Napoli this summer, he will now face his former club, Manchester City, where he spent ten successful years.
Before the international break, City were struggling, suffering back-to-back defeats against Tottenham and Brighton. However, they bounced back strongly last weekend in the Manchester derby, beating their rivals, Manchester United, 3-0.
Phil Foden, on his return, opened the scoring before Erling Haaland netted twice to seal the victory. The win not only lifted the team out of its slump but also injected much-needed confidence.
Guardiola Eyes a Winning Start in Europe
Pep Guardiola hopes this derby triumph will change City’s season. Despite a tough Premier League match against Arsenal at the weekend, the 2023 Champions League winners are determined to start their European campaign with a win to avoid a repeat of last season’s disappointment.
Manchester City finished 22nd in the group stage with three wins, two draws, and three losses before being eliminated by Real Madrid in the play-offs.
The City have lost 4 of their last 5 Champions League matches. However, they have won 21 straight group stage and league phase matches (18 victories, 3 ties) at the Etihad. They’ve also won five of their past six competitive home openers, demonstrating consistency.
Napoli Carry Title-Winning Momentum
On the other hand, Napoli, under Antonio Conte in his debut season, secured their second Serie A title in three years. They have started this season strongly as well, with three straight wins over Cagliari, Sassuolo, and Fiorentina.
After missing out on last season’s Champions League, this will be Napoli’s ninth appearance in the competition and their first under the new league phase format. The Italian side has lost just 3 of their last 18 group-stage matches (11 wins, four draws). However, they have never beaten an English side away from home in European competition, with a record of three draws and nine defeats.
Haaland Closing in on 50-Goal Milestone
With a packed fixture schedule, Guardiola may rotate his squad. Rico Lewis, Nathan Aké, Nico González, Bobb, and Savinho could all return to the starting lineup.
Erling Haaland is expected to start again. The Norwegian striker has already scored 49 goals in 48 Champions League appearances and is just one goal away from reaching the 50-goal milestone. He could become the 10th player in history to achieve this feat.
De Bruyne Faces His Old Club
For Napoli, all eyes will be on Kevin De Bruyne. During his 10 years at Manchester City, he won 19 trophies. Now, less than three months after his departure, he returns to the Etihad, where he will undoubtedly receive a warm welcome from the home supporters.
The two clubs have faced each other four times in the Champions League group stage. The last encounter was in the 2017/18 season, when City won both matches, 2-1 at home and 4-2 away.
