Slovan Bratislava Vs Manchester City: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Even though Man City hasn't won in three of their last four games, they’re expected to comfortably secure a victory in their second Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava. City remains unbeaten in their last nine competitive matches. They’ve also led at halftime in five of their previous seven games, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them start strong again.

Slovan Bratislava, their Slovakian opponents, haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last five matches, which should give City plenty of chances to capitalize on offense. Pep Guardiola’s squad has performed well on the road, winning six of their last seven competitive away games. Expect a high-scoring game, as more than 2.5 goals have been scored in five of City's last six matches. So far, they’ve averaged 2.3 goals per game in the Premier League – predicted score: Slovan Bratislava 0-3 Man City.

The UEFA Champions League is back, with Manchester City heading to Slovakia to face Slovan Bratislava in the second matchday of the group stage.

• Date: October 1, 2024
• Kick-off Time: 3:00 PM ET
• Venue: Tehelne Pole Stadium

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, aiming for their second Champions League title in three seasons, are competing on all fronts once again. While City have had a strong start to the season and remain unbeaten, they’ve dropped points in their last two Premier League matches. They drew 2-2 against Arsenal, rescuing a point late, and were held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle over the weekend.

Their first Champions League fixture followed a similar pattern, with City unable to break down Inter Milan in a 0-0 stalemate. Despite these recent frustrations, City will be confident heading into their match against Slovan Bratislava. However, one major setback is the news that Rodri will miss the remainder of the season due to an ACL tear, a significant loss for City. This comes on top of Kevin De Bruyne’s absence, as he’s been sidelined for the last two games, contributing to City’s recent struggles.

Slovan Bratislava, currently leading the Slovak Super Liga with 21 points from eight games and only one loss, face their biggest challenge of the season so far. Despite their domestic success, they struggled in their Champions League opener, suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat to Celtic. This suggests that Manchester City should have a relatively comfortable night in Slovakia.

If Bratislava are to pose any threat, they’ll likely look to winger Tigran Barseghyan, who has already scored seven goals this season. City could rotate their squad for this match, potentially giving Bratislava some opportunities to exploit any defensive gaps. However, the real issue for the home side will be dealing with City’s powerful attack. Bratislava has conceded 11 goals in their domestic league and allowed five against Celtic, so their defense will be under immense pressure.

This will be the first-ever meeting between these two clubs in any competition. While Slovan Bratislava has faced English teams before, winning just two out of 12 encounters, they’ve also lost eight, including their last five. Their only victories against English opposition came against Derby County and Tottenham Hotspur, many years ago in European competitions. Manchester City, on the other hand, has never faced a Slovakian team in European competition before.

Slovan Bratislava vs Man City will be available to watch on TNT Sports 1.

Slovan Bratislava

Defender Lukas Pauschek is out with a shoulder injury, with a potential return in mid-October. They should have a fully fit squad to choose from otherwise.

Man City

Rodri is out for the season with an ACL injury. Kevin De Bruyne is a doubt having missed the last two league games. Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb are longer term absentees.

Slovan Bratislava:

In their last five games, Slovan Bratislava have won four and lost one. It has been a very dominant stretch for the Slovakian side, though their one defeat did come in Europe. They started this run with a 2-1 win away from home against Dunajska. However, they had to come from behind, and they did so with a brace from Tigran Barseghyan. This included an 89th-minute winner from the penalty spot.

Bratislava’s only defeat of this stretch came at Celtic in the Champions League. They had managed to keep the deficit at one heading into the break, but conceded twice shortly after the restart. Kevin Wimmer scored to make it 3-1, though two more late goals sealed the win for the Scottish side.

They returned to league action with another 2-1 victory, this time at home to Ruzomberok. Robert Mak and an own goal saw them score either side of an equaliser for the visitors. A 6-1 victory at Belusa sent them safely through to the fourth round of the Slovak Cup. Their most recent fixture was a 4-2 win away at Michalovce. Once again they fell behind, but turned it around thanks to Barseghyan, David Strelec (x2) and Zuberu Sharani.

Manchester City:

In their last five games, Man City have won two and drawn three. It has been a good start to the season for the Premier League champions. This run started with a 2-1 home win against Brentford. They were shocked early as the Bees took the lead after just 22 seconds. Though they were not behind for long as Haaland equalised on the 19th minute mark. He scored again shortly after to complete the turnaround for three points.

The first Champions League action of the campaign followed as they hosted Inter Milan. Defences were on top in this one with the sides playing out a goalless draw. In the biggest clash of the season so far, City faced Arsenal in a huge early season top of the table fixture. Pep Guardiola’s team salvaged their unbeaten start with a last minute John Stones equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

Attention shifted to the EFL Cup with a tie at home to Watford. They advanced with a 2-1 win with goals from Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes. At the weekend, they made a tricky trip to Newcastle. They were held to a 1-1 draw after Josko Gvardiol’s opener was cancelled out by a second half Anthony Gordon penalty.

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