Manchester City will be keen to keep their hundred percent win rate going in this season’s Champions League group stage when they face BSC Young Boys.
Defending champions Manchester City will travel to the Wankdorf Stadium to take on BSC Young Boys on Wednesday night. Pep Guardiola’s men have won their opening two games and are chasing a ninth straight group stage clash without defeat in the competition.
They are currently top of Group G and are the favourites to qualify for the Round of 16. Having begun their title defence with back-to-back wins, the English champions will now aim to put Young Boys to the sword.
The Swiss side have secured just one point from their opening two games and will struggle to hold their own against Guardiola’s star-studded outfit. One can claim that the contest will be a clash of boys vs men if the squads on paper are concerned.
Domestically, Young Boys have mirrored Manchester City in their dominance. They have won five of the last six league titles and remain the team to beat in Switzerland. The competition on the continent is certainly several levels higher. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on Sunday and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
BSC Young Boys
Abschlusstraining vor dem Spiel gegen Manchester City ✅💛🖤 #BSCYB #YBFOREVER @key_SDA_sport pic.twitter.com/7cTgZI3Ovt
— BSC YOUNG BOYS (@BSC_YB) October 24, 2023
The Swiss giants drew at the weekend against title rivals FC Zurich and will now hope for the same against Manchester City. They will have to do so without Kastriot Imeri who is ruled out of the season with an ACL injury.
Darian Males is struggling with a knock and is a doubt for the game. Raphael Wicky will have decisions to make and is expected to feature his strongest XI on the night.
A dynamic and versatile 4-3-3 formation appears to be the solution for the home side on the night. Anthony Racioppi should start in goal behind the back four of Lewin Blum, Mohamed Ali Camara, Loris Benito and Ulisses Garcia.
Sandro Lauper should act as the anchor in midfield, with Joel Monteiro and Cheikh Niasse acting as the ball carriers. Filip Ugrinic should drop deeper to play as the number 10, feeding the ball into Cedric Itten and Meschak Elia’s path. The duo will start upfront and should hope to trouble the Manchester City defence and catch them off guard.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Racioppi; Blum, Camara, Benito, Garcia; Monteiro, Lauper, Niasse; Ugrinic, Itten, Elia
Manchester City
The defending champions are among the favourites for the title this season and so far have shown little in terms of weaknesses. With his team easily the best side in the group, Pep Guardiola will be keen to wrap up qualification for the knockout rounds as quickly as possible.
The Spaniard will also have an eye on this weekend’s blockbuster clash against Manchester United. This could see him rotate his squad and bring in a few fringe players, either from the start or off the bench.
Manchester City were given a late scare against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend. But Young Boys will lack the attacking nous to cause them similar problems. Star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is still out injured, while John Stones and Bernardo Silva could be rested having recently returned from injuries.
#UYL away day 🔜 pic.twitter.com/z6FqtPSefh
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 24, 2023
Guardiola is likely to deploy his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ederson Moraes in goal. He will be protected by the back four of Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.
Rodri and Mateo Kovacic should hold down the fort as the double pivot, while the trio of Phil Foden, Matheus Nunes and Jack Grealish should serve further upfield. Erling Haaland should start upfront, with Julian Alvarez coming on for him early in the second half, especially if the game is settled at that point.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake; Rodri, Kovacic; Foden, Nunes, Grealish; Haaland
Key Stats
- This is the first time that Young Boys are facing Manchester City in a competitive fixture.
- Manchester City faced Swiss opposition just twice before in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. They won 4-0 away to FC Basel before losing the return leg 2-1.
- Young Boys have now gone 14 games in the UEFA Champions League without keeping a clean sheet. This is the longest such run of any side in the competition’s history.
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 15 games in the UEFA Champions League. This is the longest unbeaten run of any English side in the competition bar Manchester United.
- Should Manchester City avoid defeat on the night, Pep Guardiola will match his personal best of managing a 16-game unbeaten run in the competition. He last managed it while at Barcelona.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
The Manchester City striker is arguably the most prolific goalscorer in European football but has lacked the same sharpness and cutting edge he showed last season. The trip to Switzerland offers him an opportunity to add to his tally and get back to his best.
Guardiola will be keen to have his serial goalscorer fit to face Manchester United and is unlikely to give him a full night’s worth of gametime. A quick start on the night should see Haaland hauled off before the 60th minute for Alvarez.
Prediction
Young Boys 0-2 Manchester City
The Swiss giants got the better of an English opposition when Manchester United came visiting in 2021/22. However, their city neighbours are a far more daunting opposition and are unlikely to let their guard down. It is difficult to see anything but a win for the visitors on the night.
