Man City vs Leeds Prediction 29 November 2025

🔊 Matchday 13 of the Premier League brings us a clash between the third-placed team and the third from the bottom, Manchester City and Leeds United. Beyond the numerical coincidence, both sides share recent struggles. The Citizens are on a two-game losing streak, while the Peacocks have lost their last three. Saturday's showdown will take place at the Etihad Stadium, where City suffered a setback in their most recent Champions League outing. Can the Sky Blues bounce back in front of their home crowd? Let's evaluate the odds for both teams in our editorial's prediction.

Head-to-Head

📊 In the Premier League, these teams have faced each other six times. Manchester City have claimed victory in four of those encounters, all consecutively. Leeds' last win came in 2021, and it remains their only triumph against the "Peacocks." The teams have drawn once. Notably, in 5 out of the 6 matches, the total goals exceeded 2.5.

Manchester City Team Overview

The last time we saw two consecutive losses for the "Citizens" was at the start of the season when they stumbled out of the gates in the Premier League. Now, history has repeated itself, albeit across different competitions. It all began with a match against Newcastle in the 12th round of the Premier League (1-2). Overall, Pep Guardiola's side stuck to their usual game plan. The "Sky Blues" dominated possession (68% to 32%) and took significantly more shots on goal (17 compared to 9). However, their advantage in terms of chance creation was not as pronounced (1.94 xG to 1.87 xG). As a result, City conceded the second spot in the league to Chelsea.

Their unlucky streak continued in the Champions League. Bayer Leverkusen paid a visit to Manchester. Here, Guardiola's men couldn't establish their usual territorial dominance. The hosts held possession for just 55% of the time, although this didn't affect their number of attacks. The "Citizens" outshot their opponents (19 to 7) and led in expected goals (2.05 to 0.73). But this statistical edge didn't translate into goals. Leverkusen capitalized on their few opportunities and defeated the English side 2-0. Nevertheless, there's no cause for major concern. Yes, City dropped from third to ninth place, but they are only separated from the top eight by a narrow goal difference with Sporting.

Leeds United Team Overview

Daniel Farke's team has been hovering around the relegation zone for a while, but after three consecutive defeats, they have finally dropped into it. Leeds' schedule isn't particularly daunting. Three out of their next five opponents are direct rivals in the league standings. However, the "Peacocks" have been abysmal on the road. In six away matches, they've managed just one victory, and that was against a struggling Wolverhampton, who sit at the bottom of the table.

On the other hand, the "Whites" have been a different beast at home. Yes, their last match ended in a defeat to Aston Villa (1-2). However, the hosts certainly didn't look inferior to their opponents. In fact, they outperformed Villa in terms of expected goals (1.94 xG to 1.4 xG) despite an equal number of shots (14 each). The "Peacocks" were the first to score in the match but squandered their lead, conceding a goal in each half.

Latest news

Manchester City

🎙 Manchester City's head coach opted for an unconventional starting lineup against Bayer. The Spanish tactician made 10 changes compared to the previous match. Here's how Pep Guardiola commented on his decision and the team's overall performance: “I take full responsibility, but I still believe that even though we fielded outstanding players, we lacked what is necessary when playing at the highest level. I think playing every two or three days requires us to rotate the squad, but judging by the result, perhaps there were too many changes. If we win, it's not a problem, but I must admit that perhaps it was excessive. Now we have to fight in the upcoming matches.”

❌ Manchester City's injury list includes some big names: Rodri and Mateo Kovacic. Yet, the team has been managing without them for quite some time. However, their summer signings have helped mitigate the loss of such significant players.

Leeds United

📝 The clouds are gathering over Daniel Farke. Leeds management is already searching for his replacement. The first candidate for the head coach position was Bo Svensson. The former Union Berlin manager was dismissed from the German club back in December 2024, just six months after his appointment. However, reports suggest that the Danish coach is in no rush to choose a new job, as Union still pays him compensation. So, the "Peacocks" have turned their attention to Brendan Rodgers, who recently left Celtic. According to media claims, the former Leicester and Liverpool manager would not mind returning to the Premier League.

❌ In the latest round of the championship, Leeds lost Anton Stach. The German suffered a concussion after a collision with an opponent and will be sidelined for some time. Sebastian Bornauw's participation is also in doubt. The summer signing has yet to debut for the team due to a knee injury, but the Belgian is very close to making his return.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The main referee for the match is Peter Bankes. His average number of yellow cards in the last 20 Premier League matches stands at 3.9. Both teams are known for their aggressive play, accumulating a similar number of bookings: 2.2 for Leeds compared to 2 for Manchester City over their last five Premier League games. However, City distribute their yellow cards more evenly, having picked up fewer than two cautions in only one of those matches. We anticipate that they will be highly motivated for the 13th round of the championship to bounce back from two consecutive defeats. This intensity might lead to Manchester City's total yellow cards exceeding 1.5.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Matches involving both teams tend to be high-scoring affairs. Over 2.5 goals have been scored in 5 out of Manchester City's last 6 matches across all competitions and in 7 out of Leeds' last 8 Premier League games. Their head-to-head encounters have been equally thrilling, with at least three goals scored in 5 out of their last 6 meetings. We expect that even if the "Peacocks" don't contribute to the final tally, the total goals will still be over 2.5.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Even without Mateo Kovacic and Rodri in midfield, Manchester City stay true to their overall style. The "Citizens" don't adapt to opponents but instead tweak their play based on Pep Guardiola's lineup choices. For Saturday's match, the starting lineup will be well-rested after making 10 changes in the Champions League game against Bayer. It's expected that the hosts will press their opponents back towards their goal, impacting the number of set-pieces. In the Premier League, City rank second in corners won at home (7.67 per game). Therefore, Manchester should surpass a total of 6.5 corners.

Despite Manchester City's recent results, their status as favorites in the upcoming match is undeniable. The loss to Bayer in the Champions League can be attributed to Guardiola's lineup experiments. The game against Newcastle was evenly matched and could have gone either way. Meanwhile, Leeds consistently struggle away from home, with just one win in six away matches speaking volumes. Additionally, City have won all their Premier League games at the Etihad this season by a margin of two or more goals. Therefore, we suggest backing Manchester City to win with a -1.5 handicap. Predicted score – 3-0.