Manchester City continue winning streak, can they keep Champions League title this year?
Manchester City continue their stellar performance during this season's UEFA Champions League by seizing three consecutive wins so far in the Group Stage.
Starting the matchday by opposing Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday, September 20, Manchester City secured their first win with a score of 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage.
Red Star actually led the first round, with Osman Bukari scoring against Man City in the 45th minute. However, in the second half, City turned the tables with Julian Alvarez scoring the first goal, right after the second half began. Alvarez doubled the score with a freekick from the left side. Rodrigo Hernández Cascante then secured City's win with his skilful curling shot in the 73rd minute, marking it as the last goal of the match.
Pep Guardiola's squad continues to power through the group stage. The 3-1 victory over Leipzig on October 5, contributed to City's growing list of wins.
In the game against BSC Young Boys last Thursday, October 26, Kevin de Bruyne and the team managed to bring victory after struggling to break the Young Boys' defence.
Golden opportunities constructed by Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish, and Matheus Nunes in the first half were missed without any goal, making the first half ended with 0-0.
The deadlock ended in the second half when City finally scored their first, with Manuel Akanji pouncing on a loose ball in front of the goal. Haaland's long-range goal in the 86th minute sealed the victory for Manchester City.
These three consecutive wins led City as Group G leader with 9 points.
Potential rivals
When talking about the UEFA Champions League, the topic seems to be inseparable from Manchester City, the winner of the previous season. Placed in Group G for the group stage, along with RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, and BSC Young Boys, the Citizen has been showing a remarkable performance.
Other than City, the “usual suspects” - Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Bayern Munich - are doing well too, topping their respective groups and also achieving three consecutive victories.
Statistics-wise, in terms of goals scored, The Citizens and Bayern Munich are the leaders. Meanwhile, Inter Milan, who have won the Champions League three times, must content itself with four goals.
Manchester United, on the other hand, suffered a worse reality. The 2007/2008 UCL champions had to settle for just one victory after being defeated by Bayern and Galatasaray with a narrow goal difference.
Even though these two prominent teams haven't showcased their best form, their shared history of winning the Champions League title makes it reasonable to regard them as potential rivals for Manchester City.
Taking these statistics into consideration, it is safe to say that the strongest potential rivals for City to chase the Champions League title are Bayern, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid, as they have shown consistent performances in the competition so far.
If Guardiola can sustain the team’s performance, City’s chance to win this prestigious league again seems high. According to The Telegraph, Manchester City are 2/1 favourites to retain the Champions League currently, followed by Bayern Munich 9/2 and Real Madrid 13/2.
The reason why Manchester City should be the team you reckon with is because up to this, time they’ve won three consecutive matches with a total of nine goals scored. Furthermore, the presence of the prolific striker Haaland and midfielder Alvarez further enhances their chances of winning.
Betting for the Sky Blues
Betting on sports is commonly embraced by many. According to the American Gaming Association, up to the last 12 months, about 39.2 million people have been betting on sports, either for financial gains or just to add excitement while watching the game.
Sports betting used to require bettors to be physically present. But today, you can bet virtually. So, to bet on Manchester City as the winner of the UCL this season, you don't have to be in England.
Another advancement of today’s betting technology is the availability of live betting that allows you to adjust your bet during the undergoing match and wager options that support Bitcoin.
Several options are available for you to bet on Manchester City, from predicting it as the winner to a specific person to be a top scorer. Currently, many are betting on them as the winner for this season, with Haaland as the favourite predicted top scorer to bet on.
When joining sports betting, it’s important to always monitor the performance of your favourite team through reliable sports news sites. Alternatively, many betting platforms also provide resource pages that can help you to learn more, like https://sportsbet.io/blog/crypto.
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