Manchester City vs Liverpool
It’s Manchester City vs Liverpool at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, on Thursday, in the International Champion Cup’s clash of the Premier League favourites.
These two giants of the English game are widely tipped to be fighting for top spot next season, and New York football fans will get to see some of the stars set to set the EPL alight again.
Both clubs have players coming back from the World Cup, many of who are unlikely to feature until the latter stages of the ICC, but City and Liverpool will have experience and youth in their teams, as well as big money signings to introduce to their supporters.
City, in particular, are likely to trust their young players and it’s going to be a fascinating match. You can keep up with all the Manchester City vs Liverpool updates right here at SBOBET.
Talking points
Pep Guardiola gave his kids a chance in the opening game against BVB, starting with Lukas Nmecha, Brahim Diaz, Jack Harrison and Phil Foden, but the Bundesliga side was simply too strong in the end.
Big money arrival Riyad Mahrez made a start and was the most impressive City player in a fairly lacklustre performance. He’ll need to keep his form up to have any chance of deposing anyone in the starting line-up, when City has a humdinger of an opening fixture, away to Arsenal in less than three week’s time.
German winger Leroy Sane should feature again, as might veteran goalkeeper Joe Hart, who has returned from loan spells at West Ham and Torino.
Midfielder Phil Foden is a young man with a big future, if he can keep his head down and carry on learning from the wealth of talent he sees around him every day at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola rates the 18 year old highly, and will be looking for the starlet to shine against Liverpool.
Liverpool have their own youngsters in Dominic Solanke, an England international at 20, and Ben Woodburn who made his debut for Wales aged 17 and has shown bags of promise.
Like City, Jurgen Klopp’s side just couldn’t deal with the pace and trickery of Christian Pulisic when they met BVB at the weekend, and he may yet be tempted to put another offer in for the USA winger.
£55 million new boy Naby Keita featured in that opening fixture defeat and will be in the side again as he tries to stake his claim for a starting position in the Premier League. In his time at RB Leipzig he gathered a reputation as a naturally aggressive player, picking up four red cards in the Bundesliga last season and, as he’s been compared to Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, the Guinean might be just what Liverpool needs.
Alongside Jordan Henderson, Keita could be the man to add bite to the midfield, allowing Liverpool’s attacking riches to run freely.
Liverpool are second favourite to win the EPL title next season and the Reds will feature heavily in the SBOBET tips for the new season.
But City’s Leroy Sane has today taken a little swipe at their rivals, suggesting that Chelsea will be the biggest threat to the Sky Blues’ league title defence. We’ll see about that!
History
Of course, City and Liverpool share the very recent history of losing to Borussia Dortmund in this competition; City with something of a whimper, albeit with a very inexperienced team, and Liverpool through wasteful finishing and loss of concentration at the death.
But Klopp’s side have had City under their thumb in 2018, winning a seven goal thriller in the Premier League and then sensationally beating the league winners over two legs in the Champions League, 3-0 and 2-1. But it’s less than a year since Pep’s team gave the Reds a real thumping at the Etihad, Sane scoring twice in a 5-0 win.
Overall, Liverpool have won 24 of the 47 meetings between these two giants, and while many of those were in the Reds’ halcyon years in the 70s and 80s, the gap will take some closing; City has won just nine.
What are the odds?
Liverpool are likely to have more big game experience in the starting line-up and so City’s youngsters will have to be on their game to make it ten!
The Manchester City vs Liverpool betting odds back that up, with the Reds slightly odds on at 1.94 to win, while the Sky Blues are 3.40 and the draw is 3.70.
Jurgen Klopp’s team was in control in the first half against BVB and you can get 2.61 on a halftime lead for Liverpool.
Over 3.00 goals is available at 1.90 with under 3.00 at 2.00 and, with 18 goals in the last four match-ups between these two, I suspect it will be a busy night for the keepers, which is great news for us!
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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