Man City vs Napoli match review, 2:00 a.m. September 19: De Bruyne's return day

VHO - Commentary on the match Man City vs Napoli, Champions League qualifying round, the battle at Etihad promises to bring an exciting attacking football feast.

Man City vs Napoli form

Last season, Man City also played their opening match of the Champions League qualifying round at home and welcomed a representative from Serie A. At that time, the team under coach Pep Guardiola only earned 1 point from a goalless draw with Inter Milan.

The unsatisfactory results led to a series of difficult matches after that. The Citizens finally finished 22nd and had to seek a ticket to the round of 16 through the play-off series. But the heavy 3-6 defeat after two matches at the hands of Real Madrid officially ended the continental dream of the Manchester giants.

This year, Man City is expected to bring a brighter face. The Etihad Stadium team has invested heavily in the transfer market to patch up the gaps in the squad and create a good enough depth of force, ready to share the fire in many arenas.

But the uncertainties remain, as evidenced by two consecutive defeats to Tottenham and Brighton. However, Man City managed to regain their spirits ahead of the opening match of the Champions League qualifying round with a magnificent 3-0 victory in the Manchester derby last weekend.

Against their big city rivals, Man City showed a very positive face. Coach Guardiola himself hopes that the crushing of Man United will create a turning point for The Citizens to return to the winning track.

Hosting Napoli, the home team is of course rated higher for the possibility of winning. But besides the professional significance, the Etihad Stadium this midweek also experienced mixed emotions when welcoming the legendary Kevin de Bruyne back.

De Bruyne had glorious years at Etihad Stadium

During his time at the Blues of Manchester, the Belgian scored 72 goals and provided 119 assists in 288 games, contributing greatly to a collection of various titles. Just a few months ago, De Bruyne was still standing at the Etihad Stadium waving goodbye to the fans.

Now on the other side of the battle line, the 34-year-old midfielder will have to put aside his emotions and fight with his teammates for the goal of winning points. Napoli's current form is very impressive. The Serie A champions started their journey to defend their title with a series of 3 consecutive wins.

Last weekend, despite having to play away at Artemio Franchi against Fiorentina, coach Antonio Conte and his team still defeated their opponents with a convincing score of 3-1. In addition to notable factors such as De Bruyne, coach Conte, the away team also has agents who are familiar with Man City such as Scott McTominay, Anguissa or Rasmus Hojlund.

To overcome a team full of spirit and in form as Napoli promises is not an easy task for the home team.

Man City vs Napoli squad information

Man City: Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki, Mateo Kovacic are absent due to injury. The possibility of John Stones and Rayan Ait-Nouri playing is still uncertain.

Napoli: Amir Rrahmani, Nikita Contini and Alex Meret are absent.

Expected lineup Man City vs Napoli

Man City: Donnarumma; Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, Ake; Rodri, Gonzalez; Savinho, Foden, Doku; Haaland

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; Lobotka; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund

Prediction: 3-2

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/nhan-dinh-tran-dau-man-city-vs-napoli-2h00-ngay-199-ngay-ve-cua-de-bruyne-168868.html