The leaders of the Italian and English championships will be placed once again face to face on Wednesday, November 1st. Facing the fourth round of the group stage of the 2017/2018 European Champions League, Napoli will host Manchester City at the San Paolo stadium in Naples, Italy. The kickoff is scheduled for 17:45.
The City has the possibility of securing the classification for the eighth finals with two rounds of anticipation. He added nine points in the first round of the group stage, including a 2-1 win over Napoli in the third round. Shakhtar of Ukraine are second with six points. The Neapolitans come next with three. Without scoring, the Feyenoord of the Netherlands is the lantern.
The recent performance of Napoli
In the Italian Serie A, Napoli make the one that is very probably the best start of its history. On Sunday, October 29, also at San Paolo, he passed Sassuolo, scoring 3 to 1 and reaching 31 (ten wins and a draw) of the 33 points played. It is isolated leader with three points of advantage in the comparison with Juventus and Lazio, that divide the second position.
It is not only the score that makes the team of southern Italy stand out in the national tournament. With 32 goals scored, which means average very close to three per game, has the second best attack of the competition. The defense, with eight goals conceded, is the third less leaked.
Offensive and defensive production numbers are even better when you consider only the five games (four wins and one draw) held at San Paolo. In that case, Napoli made 15 goals, an exact average of three per game, and was leaked only twice.
Although the situation in the Champions League is delicate, it still can not be considered hopeless, even if Shakhtar defeats Feyenoord in a match that will be held in Ukraine at the same time. Although Napoli do not score, they still have a chance to fight for the second place in the final rounds.
To try to improve this situation by scoring against City, coach Maurizio Sarri can count on practically all the cast. Out of action follows only the Polish Arkadiusk Milik (three matches in the 2017/2018 Italian Championship, one goal), which should only return to the grasses next year.
The current form of Manchester City
City also makes an extraordinary start to the English Championship. On Saturday, October 28, he was able to beat West Bromwich 3-2 with a visitor. He remained in the lead with 28 points (nine wins and a draw) from the 30 teams. They are five more than Manchester United, runner-up.
The difference with Napoli is that this hegemony is also extended to the continental tournament. With 100% advantage, the City will secure its classification with two rounds of anticipation if it reaches the victory on Wednesday in Naples. Even the draw is good.
For that, coach Pepe Guardiola can not count on defenders Vincent Kompany (three matches in the English Premier League season 2017/2018, no goal) and Benjamin Mendy (four games, no goal), who are injured.
The Manchester Blues have not lost an official game since April 5, still in the 2016/2017 season, when they took 2-1 to Chelsea. Since then, in 24 games, he has accumulated 19 wins and five draws.
History of the bouts between Napoli and Manchester City
The teams were also in the same group in the 2011/2012 season of the Champions League. In England, Napoli managed to equalize by 1 to 1. At home, won by 2 to 1.
PREDICTION: Manchester City win @ 2.50
