Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City faces a challenging and emotionally charged encounter against Napoli, the reigning Serie A champions, as they kick off their 2025/26 UEFA Champions League run at the Etihad Stadium on September 18.
The tie, albeit a tricky one for Pep Guardiola’s men, will be a very emotional one as it allows for the imminent return of Man City legend Kevin De Bruyne to the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City will look to win this tough tie against a very difficult opposition in that of Contes
Napoli, who are on a high-flying run themselves after winning 3/3 games in the Serie A, while Man City have comparatively struggled in the league, but after their thumping win against local rivals Man Utd, they will be looking to use this momentum and give a winning fight against the
Italian champions. Overall, head-ons show that Man City just edge Napoli.
Compared to Napoli, who under Conte are known to be astute, as the break has conceded only 1 goal, while scoring 6, whereas City have looked more open and vulnerable against the high-flying and energy-intensive teams in the Premier League.
Match Details:
- Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- Date: Thursday, September 18
- Kick off: 8.00 PM BST/12.30 AM IST
Key Factors for both Teams:
Napoli have had a good start to their campaign with all their main players carrying on the form of their title-winning season to this season. The signings from England in De Bruyne on a free and Man Utd loanee Rasmus Hojlund, who was brought to replace the goalscoring forward Lukaku, have already hit the ground running for the Italian champion. Conte, known for his defensive solidity, has conceded a single goal compared to the 6 scored from 3 matches played this season.
Man City have had a topsy-turvy start to their campaign, starting with a dominating victory in their PL opener but subsequently losing their next 2 game, showing they have the same problems as last season’s, where they used to leave too much space behind for other teams to exploit.
What are some of the other factors that can be considered ahead of this game?
Gianluigi Donnarumma impressed on his Manchester City debut against Manchester United, defying expectations of a nervous start. Instead, he delivered several crucial saves, notably denying Mbuemo, and quickly established himself as a reliable presence in goal. Donnarumma’s move from PSG to City was unexpected, arising from unforeseen issues with the Parisian club’s board. Now, as he prepares to face Napoli, a club familiar to him from his years in Serie A, his experience in Italian football could prove invaluable.
But this also may cause a selection problem for Pep as the city graduate, having just joined from Burnley, tipped by many to be the next England starting keeper, may see his game time dwindle, giving Pep selection headaches and ensuring that he gets minutes as well.
Can Napoli’s experienced PL squad continue to shine?
Napoli have a history of signing players who have previously played in the Premier League, such as Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay, Zambo Anguissa, Romelu Lukaku, and recently joined recruits like Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund. All of these people have performed well so far and will hope to do so in the near future.
Manchester City vs Napoli Probable Lineups
Both Manchester City and Napoli will look to field a strong 11 in this tie as they look to kick off the Champions League in a winning way.
Probable lineups for the Manchester City vs Napoli clash:
Manchester City XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nico O’Reilly, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol,
Abdukodir Khusanov, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Tijani Reijnders, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland
Napoli XI: Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Sam Beukema, Alessandro
Buongiorno, Leonardo Spinazzola, Stanislav Lobotka, Matteo Politano, André Frank Zambo-Anguissa, Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay, Rasmus Hojlund.
Both teams will want to play their strongest and win 11, as they have won the last game and will not change their lineup of players unless there are sudden changes.
Manchester City v Napoli key Injuries:
Man City: John Stones, Ait Nouri, Mateo Kovacic, Rayan Cherki, and Omar Marmoush are some of the notable players missing from the City team
Napoli: Romelu Lukaku, Nikita Contini, Amir Rrahami, Alex Meret
