City take advantage of a managerless RB Leipzig
Jesse given his Marsching orders
Managerless RB Leipzig will play host to a Man City side who have already topped the group. Leipzig are coming off of a strong showing in Europe last time out. 5-0 was the scoreline when they beat Club Brugge in a rampant display against the Belgian side. Both Swede Emil Forsberg and the formidable Christopher Nkunku both bagged a brace each and Portuguese striker Andre Silva completed the demolition at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Brugge. The battle between them and Brugge for the final Europa League spot on offer for Group A. Domestically, however, Leipzig have really struggled. Three defeats on the bounce coupled with a plethora of poor performances throughout the season has left Leipzig 11th in the Bundesliga, with just 18 points from 14 games. A 2-1 loss against high flying Union Berlin respresented the final straw for former manager Jesse Marsch, and with Leipzig winless in their last three Champions League home games, their European form hasn't been anything to write home about either. I can see them struggling against a dominant City side, who have nothing to play for but won't let up with Guardiola constantly demanding perfection.
City already confirmed table toppers
Pep Guardiola's side have taken 12 points from 15 available in this campaign's group stage. Last season's Champions League finalists have had a dominant group stage and their most recent performance is the perfect representation of that. An impressive 2-1 home win against Ligue 1 table toppers Paris Saint Germain. Despite going 1-0 down early in the second half thanks to a Kylian Mbappe strike meant that City looked as if they might lose at the Etihad. But, they eventually showed their quality, and scored twice in fifteen minutes. Raheem Sterling equalised for the Cityzens at the hour mark and Gabriel Jesus put Guardiola's side ahead just a quarter of an hour from full time. They saw out the win which confirmed their top of the group status and sealed qualification for the next round. In the league, a 3-1 win away at Watford sees them go top of the Premier League table, making it a strong start for City in the buildup to a busy Christmas period. Despite already qualifying for the knockout round, Man City should still see of a very patchy Leipzig outfit despite the hosts needing a result to confirm their Europa League spot.
It should be a tough game for City, but I can see them taking all three points on Tuesday night. With Leipzig managerless, and generally in some form of disarray, City should be able to take advantage of this considering their formidable performances. That's why I'm going with a Man City win with bet365.
Post bet chat Archie's Tips:
Kyle Walker saw red as City fell to Leipzig