Predicted Manchester City XI Vs Napoli: Can The Sky Blues Dominate Europe?

Manchester City’s Probable Starting XI against Napoli

Pep Guardiola will marshal his troops tonight for their Champions League group fixture against Napoli after a thumping victory over Stoke City. Guardiola’s men are playing the best football in England currently and there’s no reason why they can’t replicate that performance against the Italian side. Pep Guardiola will look forward to bagging all the three points and gain a valuable lead in the group. Fitness will be an issue as Guardiola would look to keep his players fresh after a hectic couple of months. However, given the current vein of form, it would be silly to drop anyone from the starting lineup.

Formation: 4-1-4-1

Defence

Ederson has looked safe and reliable between the posts since the start of the season. He endured some nervy moments but still came out on top. The manager prefers a sweeper keeper and in Ederson he finds someone who is ready to get out of the box often to make some good clearances. Kyle Walker will provide the pace and can stretch the opposition’s defence with his ability on the ball. Fabian Delph has been a more than suitable replacement for Benjamin Mendy and constantly features in attacks too. John Stones has been solid and stable as Nicolas Otamendi has begun giving some noteworthy performances lately.

Midfield

Fernandinho will have the responsibility of shielding the defence and initiate attacks from deep midfield. His timely interceptions will be crucial for Manchester City. David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne will play higher up in the central midfield. Kevin de Bruyne has been in sensational form since the start of the season. His key passes combined with the ability to score important goals have made him an indispensable part of Pep’s lineup. The Belgian will look to continue his good form in the European competition too. David Silva links up the attack and defence well and often drops deeper to help Fernandinho in shielding the defence. His positioning without the ball has been great and he keeps the midfield engine running with his constant running and the urge to participate in attacking moves.

Attack

Raheem Sterling showed glimpses that his finishing is improving and the youngster has shown much more composure and cleverness in front of the goal. He regularly cuts into the box and often makes some short passes to bring other attackers into play. However, the end product needs to be there regularly! Leroy Sane has started the season with a bang and will feature on the left wing. His directness makes him an attacking threat throughout the game. Gabriel Jesus will play as the sole striker. The young Brazilian has been constantly improving since his move to Etihad this January. He gets into good positions inside the box and those quick feet can dribble past defenders with ease.