Manchester City vs Barcelona. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats, and more

Manchester City will face FC Barcelona in the Club Friendly match at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, USA. The fixture will take place on Wednesday, July 31, beginning at 04:30 IST.

Parimatch News will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

Manchester City News & Current Form: 

The team of Pep Guardiola has transformed into an unstoppable force in the English Premier League. Manchester City are now ten-time winners of the national championship, clinching the title in each of the past four consecutive seasons, an unprecedented achievement.

Last season saw another title race, with Liverpool FC no longer a contender in the spring, while Arsenal FC remained resilient, pushing City to the very end. The Citizens played 38 matches, securing 28 victories, drawing seven times, and suffering only three defeats. These results earned them 91 points, enough to be crowned champions, with a two-point lead over their nearest rival.

However, their performances in other competitions were less successful last year. They lost the Emirates FA Cup final to Manchester United FC and were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the quarter-finals against Real Madrid CF. 

Preparations for the new season are progressing slowly, with the team having played only two friendly matches. In the first, they lost to Scottish side Celtic FC with a score of 3:4, conceding three goals before half-time. Manchester City initially travelled to America with a modest squad, lacking depth in several areas, and this disparate group struggled against the Scottish champions.

Among the few positives from the first friendly match were the performances of two Norwegians. Erling Haaland, the team’s star and leader, was joined by fellow countryman Oscar Bobb, who showed significant progress. Bobb was involved in all three of City’s goals and was one of the two players who played the full match. At the very least, he seems a valuable addition for rotation on the right flank.

The early matches of the American tour have provided insights into the level of City’s youth players. Most of the playing time has gone to academy graduates. Attacking players such as James McAtee and Micah Hamilton have shown promise, while the defence has been less convincing. Under Celtic’s pressure, the defence crumbled, with more experienced players like Rico Lewis and Josh Wilson-Esbrand also appearing unconvincing. Despite fielding a reserve team, Guardiola’s side remained dangerous (18 shots, 12 on target), and the Spanish manager noted his surprise at Celtic’s counter-attacking efficiency.On the night of 28 July in New York, City played a friendly against AC Milan, which ended in a comeback victory for the Milanese, 3:2. Lorenzo Colombo scored a brace, and Marco Nasti added another goal for Milan. Haaland and McAtee scored for City

Oscar Bobb took part in 2 friendly matches in the USA and performed well

Norwegian striker Haaland commented on his physical condition ahead of the 2024/25 season:

“I strive to be the best version of myself, both on and off the field. I have often said that there are many things I can improve on – I am working on that. I hope to become not only a better footballer but also a better person.”

Last season, he played 45 matches for the English club across all competitions, scoring 38 goals and providing six assists.

During the off-season, City have not made any high-profile signings, apart from Brazilian forward Savinho. The club’s manager stated that no further acquisitions are planned for the summer transfer window after signing the Brazilian international.

“Will there be more signings after Savinho? If someone leaves, then maybe. But if no one leaves, I think the team will stay as it is.”

Guardiola also expressed hope that the team’s main goalkeeper, Ederson, who is targeted by Al-Ittihad Club, will not leave the Manchester club. It was previously reported that if Ederson leaves, City will attempt to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma from PSG.

“I hope with all my heart that Ederson continues to play for us. I would like him to stay. I cannot imagine that we would have been able to win in recent seasons without him. He is an important figure in the dressing room.”

Additionally, FC Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala has caught the interest of the Citizens. The Mancunians may attempt to acquire the German footballer if Kevin De Bruyne departs. It is noted that Musiala, who grew up in England, has always been attracted to the Premier League.

City will sell defender Yan Couto to Borussia Dortmund for £25 million (approximately €30 million). Last season, the 22-year-old Brazilian spent time on loan at Girona FC, where he played 38 matches, scoring two goals and providing 10 assists.

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Barcelona News & Current Form: 

In the 2023-24 season, Barcelona finished second in La Liga, falling short to their arch-rivals, Real Madrid. The team did not even compete for the title, leaving the Blaugrana disappointed with their season. As the new season approaches, the club must rekindle hope for a return to their best achievements. With new players joining during the summer transfer window, the team will be determined to challenge for trophies alongside their main rivals from the capital. 

However, before embarking on this quest, they need a strong pre-season to prepare the squad. Barca will play four matches: against Manchester City, Real Madrid in New Jersey at the beginning of August, and AC Milan in Baltimore. On 12 August, they will face AS Monaco in Spain for the Joan Gamper Trophy.

Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo is sidelined until December due to a hamstring injury

Under the leadership of newly appointed manager Hansi Flick, the team has only played one friendly so far, against the modest club UE Olot, which was promoted to Segunda B – the third tier of Spanish football. The match was far less spectacular, with only one goal scored by Pablo Torre.

In the upcoming match, Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, and Ansu Fati will be absent due to injuries. However, Raphinha and Ilkay Gundogan joined the team this week, and Jules Kounde is also expected to arrive on 1 August. 

Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo underwent surgery for a hamstring issue. The club has not specified a recovery timeline for the 25-year-old, but he is likely to return no earlier than December. He sustained the injury during the CONMEBOL Copa America quarter-final between Uruguay and Brazil, missing the rest of the tournament. This is not the first time Araujo has been injured while on international duty; he was diagnosed with a tendon rupture after a friendly against Iran in September 2022.

On the other hand, Barcelona announced the return of defender Alejandro Balde from injury. The 20-year-old Spaniard had been recovering from a serious hamstring injury sustained in January. He has been cleared to join the upcoming pre-season tour in the United States with the team. Balde will compete with Kounde and Hector Fort for minutes at right-back.

Flick is expected to field an experienced line-up against Manchester City, with Robert Lewandowski starting. Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal are still on vacation following their victory at the UEFA EURO this summer, while Fermin Lopez, Eric Garcia, and Pau Cubarsi are representing Spain at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Regarding transfer news, Gundogan does not plan to leave the club this summer and intends to fulfil his contract. He is satisfied with his position at the club, and the appointment of fellow German Hansi Flick as head coach has reinforced his decision. It was previously reported that the player received a three-year contract offer from Qatari club Al-Sadd SC.

Manchester City form guide: W-W-W-L-L-L

Barcelona form guide: W-L-W-W-W-W

Manchester City vs Barcelona Head-To-Head Record:

• March 18, 2015: Barcelona 1 – 0 Manchester City (UEFA Champions League);
• October 19, 2016: Barcelona 4 – 0 Manchester City (UEFA Champions League);
• November 1, 2016: Manchester City 3 – 1 Barcelona (UEFA Champions League).

Manchester City vs Barcelona Predicted XI:

Manchester City’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; J Araujo, I Martinez, Christensen, Fort; Romeu, Gundogan, Torre; Roque, Lewandowski, Victor.

Barcelona’s possible starting lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, Doyle, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Perrone; Bobb, McAtee, Grealish; Haaland.

Statistical preview of the match Manchester City vs Barcelona:

• Man City’s First XI average age is 22.4 years, and Barcelona’s First XI average age is 26.8 years.
• The total value of Manchester’s squad is 1.43 bln euros, while the total of the Spanish club comes up to 890 mln euros.
• Taking into account 10 last official meetings, Manchester City have won 8 matches, drawn 0 matches and lost 2. As for goals for the same period of 10 matches: the average number of goals scored stopped at the figure of 2.8, the average for the last 10 home games is 2.7, and the average number of goals conceded is 0.6.
• From the last 10 official matches the Spanish team has won 7 wins, lost 3 games and drawn 0 times. On average, the team scored 2.2 goals per game (2 in away matches) and conceded 1.6. 

What has been said before the match:

Gaffer of the Citizens Pep about a recent meeting with AC Milan:

“We were better than the first game and some of the players made a step forward. It was really good in general, everyone was really good against a senior Champions League team like AC Milan. It was a step forward, no injuries, minutes in our legs, another test and now we fly to another game in a few days.”

Rico Lewis, the 19-year-old City representative of City, compared his team’s performance against Celtic and Milan:

“It’s pre-season, we’re trying to get back into the rhythm of winning but also the rhythm of how we play. Today was a better performance than the last game, we’re showing more composure on the ball and getting the pictures that we want to get and what we practise in training.”

“At the end of the day, we’ve lost the game but luckily it’s pre-season, this is the time when you can afford to. I’m feeling better than I expected, I didn’t expect to play both games for 90 minutes, but the manager asked me how I was, and I felt fine, so I carried on. I’ve not been cramping up or anything so it’s all good.”

Manchester City vs Barcelona Prediction:

Man City’s results in this pre-season can’t be described as encouraging, however, the good part is that reserves received some playing time while now the leaders are returning to the team. Perhaps with the return of Joško Gvardiol, the defence will improve the reliability, which was sorely lacking in the two friendlies. The Citizens’ performance remains far from ideal, and therefore it is not certain that they will be able to break the streak of failures. From a different perspective, we have already seen what Man City are capable of without core players, while it’s unclear how Barcelona will handle a first off-season match with as numerous absences, plus with a new coach. Both teams are still working their way into the season, and therefore it is impossible to single out a favourite here, both sides are far from optimal. Nevertheless, the teams’ distinct attacking-minded styles predispose to a match full of attacking action. 

Man City’s performance during the American tour is looking off the charts. Barcelona also tend to play fiercely in their friendlies against the top sides. Despite the abundance of unavailable players, the teams’ main strike force is intact: Haaland and Lewandowski are well-placed to deliver goals. In the last three head-to-head meetings between Man City and Barcelona, at least four goals per game have been scored, and we expect the pattern to continue here. 

Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: the match total will be over 3.5 – Yes.

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