Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Manchester City Face Tough Clash With Former Star and Reigning Champions

Manchester City face a firm test against their former talisman, Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, and his new club Napoli in a blockbuster showdown on Thursday night in the opening round of the UEFA Champions League.

City’s match against the in-form De Bruyne comes after he scored twice in his first three matches for the Italian champions, quickly adapting to coach Antonio Conte’s tactical approach. Conte called the clash “a moment of truth for me and my team,” especially after City’s emphatic 3-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday, powered by Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who has now scored 49 goals in 48 Champions League appearances.

Napoli will be without injured Kosovo centre-back Amir Rrahmani, with Dutch signing Sam Beukema stepping in. Beukema impressed in the last match against Fiorentina, scoring one of Napoli’s three goals. Their new Danish striker Rasmus Højlund, signed to replace the sidelined Romelu Lukaku, also got on the scoresheet in that game.

Here are the key stats to help you predict the right result and win valuable prizes with Betway:

All four previous matches between Manchester City and Napoli in Europe came in the Champions League group stage. City failed to win in 2011-12 (one draw, one loss) but beat Napoli home and away in the 2017-18 season.
Napoli have never won away against an English team in European competition (12 matches: 3 draws, 9 losses), losing at least once to six of the seven English clubs they’ve faced (Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City), with the sole exception being a 2-2 draw against Leicester City in the 2021-22 Europa League.
City coach Pep Guardiola has faced Napoli coach Antonio Conte seven times in all competitions, losing four and winning three. Among managers with at least two wins against Guardiola, Conte is one of only three with a winning record, alongside Jürgen Klopp (11 wins vs 10 losses) and Luis Enrique (3 wins vs 2 losses).
City have lost five of their last seven matches in the 2024-25 season (winning one and drawing one) — the same number of defeats they suffered in their previous 61 games combined in the competition (43 wins, 13 draws, 5 losses).
Before his move to Napoli, De Bruyne provided 25 assists for City in the Champions League — 10 more than any other player in the club’s history.
City’s star striker Haaland is just one goal away from reaching 50 in the Champions League (in only 48 matches) and is set to break the record for fewest games needed to reach the 50-goal milestone. The current record is 62 matches, set by Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2007.

When clashes like Man City vs Napoli light up the Champions League, smart fans in UAE know Betway is where predictions turn into real wins.