English Premier League: Manchester City vs. Liverpool Preview, Odds, Prediction

The big derby between Manchester City and Liverpool takes place this Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. The two top contenders for winning the English Premier title will square off one against another in a game that could critically impact the title race. City will have a home-field edge but knowing Liverpool and their quality, that isn’t a big deal. We expect to see one of the best games this season, and a true battle. We haven’t had this situation in the EPL for a long time, making the contest even more interesting.

Preview

Manchester City (+100) is on a three-win streak, and comes off a big win against Atletico Madrid in the UCL quarterfinals this Tuesday. For the moment, the Citizens have eight games in a row without a defeat, winning six and drawing twice. 

City scored at least two goals in six of the past 10 events across all the competitions, yet Guardiola’s better part of the team in recent times was the defense. It conceded only one goal in the last six meetings. 

When looking at the past ten games at home, Man City posted eight triumphs and one loss and defeat each. On five occasions, City didn’t allow a single goal, and as said, the back-line has been perfect these days. 

Liverpool (+250) rolled over Benfica in Lisbon, beating the Portuguese powerhouse, 1-3. This was the fifth triumph in a row for the Reds, who allowed just that one goal during this span. Klopp, too is very happy because of his defense. Liverpool recorded seven clean sheets in the last ten clashes.

Since the start of this calendar year, the Reds are magnificent. In the previous 20 contests, they have just one draw and one loss, with 18 victories, winning the EFL Cup in the meantime. They were 14 points behind the Citizens at one moment but now sit just one.

Luis Diaz is the man in the middle these days, with the Colombian playing at the highest possible level and covering up Mane, Salah and Firmino when they have a bad day.

Latest News

Ruben Dias is out, which is a big blow for the hosts. Mendy has been sidelined for quite some time now, the same as Cole Palmer.

On the other side, the Reds are coming lock and loaded with all the players healthy and ready to roll. 

Head to Head Games

The year’s first meeting ended without winners, 2-2, and all four goals took place in the second half. Liverpool had the lead twice, but they couldn’t keep it. 

The last time these two sides met in Manchester, the result was 1-1. Only one of the past five games didn’t end with four goals, and the same goes for both teams to score.

Prediction

There are no secrets between Guardiola and Klopp. They know one another very well. Each time we saw these two sides, goals were all over the place, and that’s why we expect the same on Sunday afternoon. Both teams to score and over 2.5 hits is the best possible choice, with the current odds set at -110 for this pick. In our opinion, this is an excellent offer.

Pick: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals -110