Manchester City – Liverpool

Guardiola's team will win in regular time.

Manchester City this season is one of the most unpredictable teams. Pep Guardiola's side has not lost any of the matches in which they were initially listed as underdogs. On the contrary, it has made a number of mistakes in matches that were expected to go in their favor. A notable example here is the three-match rivalry with Real Madrid in the Champions League. In the group stage, the Citizens went to the Spanish capital as underdogs but left with a 2-1 victory. However, in the first leg of the knockout rounds Manchester City lost both matches to Real Madrid, despite bookmakers having priced the English club as the favorite before kickoff. This odd parallel continued in the last official match of the Mancunian squad. The match was the English League Cup final, with Arsenal considered the favorites. As a result, Manchester City won by two goals and claimed the first trophy for Guardiola's team this season. Liverpool, in terms of predictions, is much easier to forecast than their upcoming opponent. Arne Slot's side endured a serious crisis last autumn, after which they rose to a higher level of play. The thing is, this does not yet allow us to confidently claim Liverpool's right to a place in the Premier League Champions League spots. Bookmakers have made the home side the favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.75 on their victory. Right now, Manchester City has a host of psychological advantages over their opponent. First, Guardiola's team won the League Cup in the last match. Second, the most recent meeting with Liverpool ended for City in a dramatic, hard-fought away victory. There, at Anfield, the Reds scored first, but City not only equalized, but also scored the winning goal in stoppage time. Third, after the match at the Etihad, Liverpool will have to fly to Paris for a Champions League knockout match against the competition's reigning champion. At the same time, Manchester City have no fixtures in the middle of the coming week, which allows them to fully focus on the upcoming opponent. Let's bet that the hosts will win in regular time.