Monaco vs Man City Prediction for 2 October 2025 - Football

🔊 Will Monaco secure their first points in the Champions League on Wednesday? In the second round of the group stage, the Monegasques host Manchester City. The Citizens already have one victory in this season's tournament and are clearly not looking to stop there. Given Monaco's shaky start in the Champions League, we're in for a thrilling encounter. Find the prediction for this match below.

Head-to-Head

📊 Monaco and Manchester City have faced each other twice. This was during the Round of 16 in the 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League season. Each team claimed victory in their respective home leg: the Monégasques triumphed 3-1, while the Citizens secured a 5-3 win.

Monaco Team Overview

🔴 Monaco had a rough start to their Champions League campaign, suffering a 1-4 defeat on the road against Club Brugge. The Monegasques were fortunate to score in the dying minutes (Ansu Fati), avoiding a goalless return home, which would have been a bitter pill to swallow. In that match, the Belgian side looked dominant compared to Monaco: they led in expected goals (xG) with 3.27 to 1.58, had more shots on target at 10 to 5, and possession was almost even at 49% to 51%.

⚪ In Ligue 1 action over the weekend, Adi Hütter's squad unexpectedly fell to Lorient (1-3), despite leading the standings before the sixth round. The team was let down by German defender Thilo Kehrer, who received two yellow cards in just 38 minutes, leaving his teammates a man down. However, Monaco have been solid at home this season, securing three wins in three matches on their turf.

Manchester City Team Overview

🔵 Manchester City put on a stellar performance in their opening Champions League match against Napoli, securing a 2-0 victory at home. The Italian side inadvertently assisted the "Citizens" when Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off with a straight red card in the 21st minute. From there, Pep Guardiola's squad took control, dominating in every statistical category: possession was 74% to 26%, expected goals were 2.21 to 0.14, corners were 9 to 2, and shots on target were 8 to 1. It was a well-deserved win for the English club!

⚪ In the domestic league, Manchester City had a rocky start, suffering two losses in their first three matches. However, they have since found their rhythm and started picking up points consistently. In their most recent Premier League fixture over the weekend, Man City thrashed Burnley 5-1 at home. This victory provided a significant psychological boost ahead of their trip to Monaco!

Latest news

Monaco

🎙 Monaco's head coach Adi Hütter commented on their defeat in the sixth round of the French championship and looked ahead to the upcoming Champions League clash: “We need to analyze this match quickly so we can fully focus on facing Manchester City. They are one of the best teams in the world, and we'll have to give it our all. Perhaps we’ll have a chance to earn some points. We know what kind of opponent we're up against; they are clear favorites, but we'll try to prepare the team as best as possible for this game.”

❌ Midfielder Denis Zakaria will not be available for the match against Manchester City due to a groin injury sustained in the fourth round against Auxerre. Forward Aleksandr Golovin is also sidelined, having picked up an injury while on international duty with the Russian national team during the recent break.

Manchester City

🎙 Recently, Nico O'Reilly signed a new five-year contract with Manchester City. The Citizens' head coach Pep Guardiola expressed his satisfaction with the deal: “We want him to stay, so we've done everything we can to ensure he remains here for a long time. I'm very pleased because Nico has shown tremendous growth. Since he started playing, I believe we've only lost one match, the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. Nico has been a great asset to us; he's increased his aggression, he's a threat during set-pieces, on the ball, and we're very happy with him.”

❌ Manchester City might be without one of their key midfielders, Rodri, due to a knee injury. The issue flared up after the match against Arsenal in the fifth round of the English Premier League. Following that, the Spanish player was not included in the squad for the cup tie against Huddersfield and missed the sixth EPL round against Burnley.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The upcoming match will be officiated by Jesus Gil Manzano from Spain. Over the span of 100 matches, he averages 4.80 yellow cards per game, with 25 fouls. In their last 5 matches, the teams' yellow card statistics are as follows: Monaco averages 2 per game, while Manchester City averages 1.5. Considering the intensity and significance of this clash, coupled with the Spanish referee's tendency to issue cautions, we suggest betting on total yellow cards over 4.

⚽️ Goals Prediction

The recent individual scoring averages for the teams are impressive: Monaco at 1.8 and Manchester City at 2.2. Both clubs are known for their attacking prowess. The Monégasques have netted 11 goals in three home games this season. Given that both sides are aiming for three points in this encounter, we anticipate a high-scoring affair – bet on total goals over 2.5.

🚩 Corners Prediction

Both Monaco and Manchester City play open, attacking football, leading to a higher than average number of corners. Over the last five matches, Monaco averages 4.9 corners per game, while the Citizens average 6.3. We expect a similar pattern in the upcoming match, suggesting a bet on total corners over 8.5.

For Monaco, the clash against Manchester City represents a chance to redeem themselves in front of their fans after defeats to Brugge in the Champions League and Lorient in Ligue 1. But how do you overcome such a formidable side when consistency is lacking? Man City are currently on a roll, gaining momentum and savoring victories. We predict the visitors will clinch this match with a scoreline of 1-3. Considering Erling Haaland's exceptional attacking form and the sheer number of goals the "Citizens" are netting against their opponents, we suggest betting on Manchester City’s individual total over 1.5.