Still sorting out their domestic form, Manchester City are now set to begin their European campaign as they host reigning Italian champions Napoli on Thursday in the start of Champions League action.
The inconsistency City displayed throughout last season has failed to disappear, as Pep Guardiola's side have been beaten twice in their first four Premier League matches.
Yet a 3-0 demolition of cross-town rivals Manchester United last time out will give home fans hope that a turnaround is on the horizon, especially considering struggling Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden were major contributors to the cause. With Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush, and Rayan Ait-Nouri out injured, those two will need to continue producing for Man City to sustain early promise of a trophy challenge this season.
Napoli, meanwhile, are one of two perfect Serie A sides through the season's first three games alongside Juventus, with Man United castaways Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund proving fruitful since joining. This match will provide an emotional return to the Etihad Stadium for City legend Kevin De Bruyne, who will have a statue erected at the ground in the near future.
MORE: Predicted lineups, team news, and latest injury updates ahead of Man City vs. Napoli
Man City vs. Napoli prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Man City (-150 on DraftKings)
- Score prediction: Man City 2-1 Napoli
This match is a tough one to call. Man City are deserving favourites, but in a clash between clubs with opposite profiles, there is reason to believe Napoli can pull out a result.
The problem here for Napoli is the fact that Stanislav Lobotka is now past 30 years old and has been a defensive sieve at the No. 6 position. Billy Gilmour is a talented alternative, but he still isn't exactly the back-line cover needed to keep Man City from pouring on the pressure.
Add in that Giovanni Di Lorenzo will be put to the test against a suddenly revived Doku, and City could find a way through this otherwise stout Napoli defensive structure.
| DraftKings (USA) | |
| Man City win | -150 |
| Draw | +295 |
| Napoli win | +425 |
| Both teams to score | Y: -140 N: +110 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | O: -145 U: +110 |
| Man City -0.5 goals | -165 |
| Napoli +0.5 goals | +120 |
Man City vs. Napoli match facts
- Date: Thursday, September 18, 2025
- Kickoff Time: 8 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
- Location: Etihad Stadium (Manchester, England)
- Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)
- Last meeting: Napoli 2-4 Man City (Nov. 1, 2017 | Champions League)
MORE: A complete guide to betting on soccer in the United States
Man City vs. Napoli best bet
- Pick: Erling Haaland 2+ shots on target
- Odds: -125 (DraftKings)
Napoli have been strong defensively to start the Serie A season, but their level of opposition has been poor overall at this early stage. Against Fiorentina last time out, they conceded 19 shots — a worrying total ahead of this trip to the Etihad.
Where Napoli have done well so far this season is to limit shot quality, conceding a minuscule 0.06 xG per shot to opponents thus far. This tracks with their similar numbers in a title-winning effort last season, when they conceded the fewest shots on target and expected goals of any club in the league.
Yet on the road in Champions League play, that could be put to the test. Conceding volume to a player like Erling Haaland is a recipe for disaster, who has put two shots on target in three of his four Premier League games this season. Last season, Haaland put at least two shots on target in two of his three league-phase home matches, with Inter's historic defensive showing being the only miss.
Man City vs. Napoli prop bet
- Pick: Kevin De Bruyne to score or assist a goal
- Odds: +220 on FanDuel
How about a little storybook moment at the Etihad early in the Champions League season?
De Bruyne's nine shot-creating actions may not be near the top of the Serie A list through three matches, but he does sit first in the league in expected assists (xA) and 10th in expected assisted goals (xAG). De Bruyne has always been about quality not quantity, and that's certainly the case still at the age of 34.
In a familiar venue, early in the season when the minutes have not yet racked up on his aging legs, De Bruyne is a great pick to know just how to strike at his old club's heart.
- Pick: Abdukodir Khusanov to be shown a yellow card
- Odds: +500 on FanDuel
McTominay was named Serie A Player of the Season for 2024/25, a deserved but surprising selection that opened the eyes of many English fans who weren't fully aware of the impact the former Man United midfielder has made since joining Napoli.
The Scotland international drew 60 fouls in Serie A action last season, tied for ninth of any player in the league, and has already drawn 13 through three games this season, second-most of any player in Serie A.
Regardless of who starts at right-back for City, whether it be Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, or someone else, they will have their hands full with defending Napoli's prized wide midfielder. While McTominay has the freedom to roam around the pitch, he's largely positioned on the left.