Manchester City’s attacking prowess remains formidable, even without the injured Rodri Hernández and Kevin De Bruyne. At the Etihad, against the Czech side Sparta Prague, just half of their offensive firepower should be enough for a commanding victory.
In the past month, Manchester City played six matches across all competitions and scored fewer than two goals only in their draw with Newcastle United (1:1). October saw them dispatch Slovan Bratislava (4:0), Fulham (3:2), and Wolverhampton (2:1) with clinical ease. In Bratislava, they produced 4.50 xG with 28 attempts (14 on target). On individual brilliance, Phil Foden recorded 1+1, while Jérémy Doku and Savinho Oliveira posed significant threats on the wings.
Sparta Prague reached the Champions League main round after a rigorous qualification process. In the qualifiers, they were fortunate against Salzburg (3:0 despite 1.00 xGA) and benefitted from Stuttgart's wastefulness (1:1). In their last four games, the Czech club claimed just one victory and conceded seven goals—their defence failing to withstand organised attacks.
At home, Manchester City are poised to create plenty of chances against the underdogs. Sparta Prague are unlikely to endure the onslaught from one of the Champions League favourites.
