It’s important to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. We take a positive look at Manchester City’s performance to better understand what United can do to play better this time.
Manchester City have been in exceptionally good form in recent months. His matches against the strongest contenders have proven to be signs of what is to come. We have strong reasons to believe that the team will make a big splash in the 2023-24 Champions League. Because? Well, let’s find out.
Current performance
Manchester City is definitely one of the best football teams at the moment. For example, if you check the chances for the next UEFA Champions League, Manchester City will likely win and surpass everyone else.
To test that hypothesis, we looked for some reliable bettors who have pretty solid odds for English football matches in general. And right on cue, they’re putting Manchester City at +225 while everyone else is behind.
Going deeper into this Canadian sports betting platform, we also find the odds of other teams. Bayern Munich are at +550, Real Madrid at +700, Arsenal at +1100, Barcelona at +1400, PSG also at +1400 and we, Man United, are at +1600.
That’s expected, from any angle you look at it, like current performance or H2H stats. Although we are not 100% satisfied with United’s current situation, nothing is really set in stone.
Position, ranking and statistics
The team is not only coming off a great performance but is also statistically sound. In recent years, the team has had a tendency to reach more advanced stages. In the pot we have teams like Napoli, Munich, PSG, Benfica and Barcelona with City.
Manchester City won the last edition (Champions League 2022-23) and will defend its glory with renewed vigor. That season, City’s Erling Haaland scored the most goals of the tournament (12) and Kevin De Bruyne had the most assists of the tournament (6).
Defeating Inter was a great feat and we believe the team will continue to perform in a similar manner.
We should also note that there have only been two cases where the defending champions managed to defend the trophy. On both occasions it was Real Madrid. The tournament, in general, is quite unpredictable.
If there is another team that can defend the trophy as well as Real Madrid even against tough competition, it is probably not Manchester City.
It is an uphill task. The staff and players may be in a good mood, but that wouldn’t matter much. Single elimination in the knockout stages means that it doesn’t directly matter how good the teams are: there is always the possibility of losing and that makes it quite difficult to win consecutive tournaments.
The power of Europe
Manchester City’s performance is nothing less than a powerhouse. It has an exceptional squad with talented footballers who have etched their names in history in several European competitions. The bench strength is also almost as strong as the starting lineup, making the team a formidable opponent to break through.
There’s also the tactical flexibility that we’re only seeing improve lately. The last few weeks have shown us that City’s talented players can overwhelm their opponents quite easily. The ability to adapt the style of play to exploit weaknesses has been instrumental in the team’s success recently, and it is a skill that will come in handy in the 2023-24 Champions League.
As expected, we also saw the team improve their relentless performance. The team’s high-pressure style can actively dismantle and disrupt any type of foreplay, even from the toughest competitors and in the knockout stages.
Forcing turnovers high up the pitch is critical to City’s success rate. And if those scoring opportunities are taken advantage of correctly (which we have every reason to believe they will be), we will see a fierce game next year. the City squad.
Not surprisingly, the team’s midfield control has also improved over the past year. It is a place of creativity and all-round control that, when combined with a strong defensive unit, can propel the team to even higher records when playing in the Champions League.
These are all things United face. The 2022-23 team is shaping up to be extraordinary and we believe this time they have what it takes to beat City at their own game. However, beating City will not be enough.
There are greater and imminent threats to United’s performance that only a balanced team cannot solve.
In conclusion
We’ve analyzed City’s current form so you know what United are up against.
This is the last UEFA competition with 32 teams in the group stage and the format will change from 2024-25. Let’s see if City can defend the trophy against bigger threats and where United land with a powerful team!
