The UEFA Champions League group stages finally kick-off today, but I’m here to predict Manchester United and Manchester City’s fixtures for tomorrow. Yesterday I predicted that Chelsea would take down Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 and Arsenal would be upset 2-1 at Borussia Dortmund today. I’ll be watching closely to see if my predictions pan out, but for now, let’s get to United and City.
Manchester United. v. Benfica: from Estadio da Luz, Portugal
Despite United getting off to a flying start this season, this fixture in Portugal will be a tough battle. As a result, United will have to be ready for the challenge, both mentally and physically. Patrice Evra’s comments to The Independent were spot on.
“We are making it look easy but nothing is,” he said in The Independent. “I have a lot of respect for Manchester City – they have a strong squad.
“When they beat Tottenham 5-1, we watched the game and we said we had to make sure we played well against Arsenal – and we scored eight. It looks like there is a competition between these two teams but don’t forget Chelsea and Liverpool. However, when I see people the first thing they ask is the date of the derby.”
Evra also commented on Rooney’s magnificent start to the season.
“Going right back to pre-season in the United States, he scored a lot of goals. You can see the hunger. Last season he had some problems but he is back. If a footballer has a problem, the first thing they want to do is play football and enjoy themselves. He wants to be the best player in the world.
“But you know we have to calm down. It is only four games. Things can change quickly. Football is like a pyramid. It is easy to reach the top but to stay there is difficult. That’s why I want Wazza to keep training hard. After each session he does some finishing practice, which is something he didn’t do a long time ago.”
Prediction: 2-1 United in a highly competitive affair
Manchester City v. Napoli: from Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
Manchester United aren’t the only club from Manchester with a tough fixture tomorrow because City are set to take on Napoli from Italy’s Serie A. City’s most effective starting lineup this season has been:
Hart
Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy,
Yaya Toure, Barry,
Nasri, Silva, Aguero
Dzeko
On the other side of the pitch Napoli have their own fair share of attacking prowess. Slovakian midfield maestro Marek Hamsik, a summer transfer target of Manchester City, will be the player to watch for Napoli. Other notable attackers are Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani, who can trouble City’s back four with their tremendous pace and trickery. That being said, City will surely hold off the Italians at home.
Prediction: 2-1 City
Be sure to follow Shawn on Twitter: @etemadis
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