Manchester City will conclude their Champions League group stage campaign against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday.
Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City odds
Here are the latest match odds for Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football betting sites.
⚡ Quick Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City tips
Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City predictions
Manchester City got back on track at the weekend, but it was a close-run thing.
After four Premier League matches without a win, Pep Guardiola’s were reeling ahead of a trip to Luton Town on Sunday.
On the stroke of half-time City fell behind, as Elijah Adebayo nodded an Andros Townsend cross past Ederson.
A Luton win might have gone down as the biggest upset in Premier League history. Unfortunately for the Hatters, they could not hold on. Goals from Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish turned the game around, as City moved back to within four points of top spot.
Guardiola will hope that the come-from-behind triumph at Kenilworth Road proves to be a turning point. But deep down he will know that City are still not firing on all cylinders.
Nevertheless, the reigning European and English champions are not exactly in a bad position as we get closer and closer to the midway point of the campaign.
They are still within touching distance of first place in the Premier League. After a tough run which saw them face Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa in recent weeks, four of City’s next five top-flight games are against teams currently in the bottom six.
Meanwhile the holders are already through to the knockout stage of the Champions League after collecting maximum points from their first five matches.
The pressure is off ahead of this trip to Serbia, with City already assured of a first-place finish in Group G.
As for Red Star Belgrade, they are guaranteed to finish bottom: although they trail Young Boys in third place by four points, Barak Bakhar’s side have an inferior head-to-head record and are therefore heading out of continental competition.
📝 Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City betting tips
Manchester City should come out on top even if Pep Guardiola shuffles his pack against Red Star Belgrade.
Manchester City to win and both teams to score - 13/8 (bet365)
Manchester City will probably shuffle their pack for this game.
A home match against Crystal Palace this weekend does not look like the most daunting task, but Guardiola will nevertheless be keen to keep some of his regulars fresh ahead of the hectic festive period, which for City includes a trip to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup.
That could give Red Star Belgrade a glimmer of hope, although no one associated with the Serbian outfit will be under any illusions as to the difficulty of the assignment in front of them.
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City have not been quite at it of late, but they should still prove too strong for Red Star. However, there are reasons to believe the Premier League side will not keep a clean sheet in front of what is certain to be a fiery atmosphere at the Rajko Mitic Stadium.
Red Star have scored in four of their five Champions League games to date, including in a 3-1 loss to City at the Etihad Stadium on matchday one.
Meanwhile City have not registered a defensive shut-out in any of their last six outings in all competitions.
In addition, the fact they are already through as group winners means City may not play with optimum intensity. That increases Red Star’s chances of finding the back of the net.
⚽ Go for a Manchester City win and both teams to score at 13/8 with bet365 ⚽
Over 3.5 goals - 11/10 (bet365)
Manchester City were not at their best against Luton Town on Sunday, but they ultimately got the job done.
There were three goals at Kenilworth Road last time out, which means this bet would not have come through. But it would have been successful in exactly half of City’s last 10 matches across the Premier League and Champions League.
Even if Guardiola does rotate for Wednesday’s contest, City will still pack a formidable punch in attack.
Neither they nor Red Star Belgrade has anything to lose here, so that should encourage both teams to give this a good go.
The danger for Red Star is that doing so would allow City more space in which to operate. That in turn is likely to produce an entertaining, high-scoring affair.
⚽ Back over 3.5 goals at 11/10 with bet365 ⚽
Julian Alvarez to score any time - 11/10 (bet365)
Erling Haaland missed the Luton victory with an injury that Guardiola described as a “bone stress reaction”.
The Manchester City head coach later confirmed that Haaland will not be out for the long-term, but he will definitely not be ready for this week’s trip to Serbia.
That is good news for Julian Alvarez, who is seeking to improve on a record which has seen him score only one goal in his last nine club appearances.
Alvarez should get the nod up top here and he looks like an astute pick to get on the scoresheet.
Red Star Belgrade have conceded 12 goals in Group G and they will struggle to keep the Argentina international under wraps.
⚽ Choose Julian Alvarez as an anytime goalscorer at 11/10 with bet365 ⚽
📺 How to watch Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City
- Location: Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia
- Date and time: Wednesday 13 December 2023, 5.45pm
- How to watch: TNT Sports 2
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on Twitter @GregLeaFootball
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