Manchester City vs BSC Young Boys Prediction and Match Preview
Manchester City aims to capitalize on their exciting 6-1 victory over Bournemouth as they face Young Boys in the fourth round of the Champions League.
The Citizens have been prolific goal-scorers in all competitions recently and are likely to stick to their attacking style of play. Despite failing to find the net in their last league match, Erling Haaland is expected to continue leading the line for the hosts.
However, Kevin De Bruyne remains sidelined with a long-term injury. Both Josko Guardiola and Jack Grealish are expected to make their return to the starting XI.
On the other hand, Raphael Wicky’s squad secured a 4-1 victory over Winterthur in the national championship, but they face a much tougher challenge against Pep Guardiola’s team, who aim to maintain their perfect record in Group G.
As David faces Goliath in the blue part of Manchester, anything other than a routine home win would be a significant surprise. The only absentee for the Swiss outfit is midfielder Kastriot Imeri.
Team News:
While most of the glum faces at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday were among the away supporters, concerns soon arose for Erling Haaland, who was substituted at halftime after twisting his ankle. He is now considered a major doubt for the Young Boys match.
Guardiola hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Haaland playing midweek, but it would be surprising to see him risked ahead of the weekend clash with Chelsea. Additionally, left-back Sergio Gomez has suffered an unspecified training injury and was spotted on crutches over the weekend.
Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring) completes the trio of injured players for the defending champions. Julian Alvarez is expected to take Haaland’s place at the forefront of the attack, with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish likely to capitalize on Haaland’s expected absence.
For their visiting counterparts, Lauper’s suspension in the weekend match has no bearing on the continental competition. However, Elia was forced off with an injury in injury time at the weekend and will need to be assessed before the team travels to England. Elia’s injury is not believed to be serious, and he is expected to lead the charge.
On the other hand, long-term ACL victim Kastriot Imeri is unlikely to feature again this season, while Lukasz Lakomy’s foot injury could keep him out until after the next international break.
Captain Mohamed Camara will be walking a disciplinary tightrope this weekend, as one more booking would rule him out of Young Boys’ potentially pivotal battle with Red Star in a few weeks’ time.
