Manchester City vs Schalke Predictions

Manchester City enjoyed another win at the Etihad on Saturday as they hosted Watford. While the opening 45 minutes proved frustrating for the hosts, in the end a startlingly fast hat trick from Raheem Sterling made the victory a comfortable one and extended their winning streak.

The hosts are now unbeaten in nine matches, and all but their Carabao Cup Final penalty win saw them win in 90 minutes. This includes their 3-2 win over Schalke a few weeks back, with that result putting them in a fine position to progress in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s side were stunned when two first half penalties saw them head into the break 2-1 down in Germany, but an 85th minute equaliser from the 10 men of Manchester City was followed by an incredible injury time winner scored by Raheem Sterling. Now it’s time for them to finish the job back at the Etihad, and the signs aren’t promising for the visitors.

The Citizens have won nine matches on the trot at home, bagging an absurd 39 goals in the process and even thrashing Chelsea 6-0 in the Premier League. Schalke, meanwhile, are coming into this game having lost 4-2 at Werder Bremen on Friday.

Schalke find themselves in torrid shape in the Bundesliga, as they have all season. They are just four points above the relegation playoff spot, and you get the feeling that the only thing keeping Domenico Tedesco in a job is their excellent showing in the Champions League.

Indeed, while they have lost five of their last six Bundesliga matches, in the Champions League they have only lost two of their seven matches this season. They have scored in all but one of these outings, but they’ll need more than one against Manchester City to stand any chance of progressing.

What we can expect from the visitors is an attacking intent, which they showed in the first leg. Schalke may be in poor form, but they have still managed to score in seven of their last eight competitive away games. Manchester City, meanwhile, have conceded in five of their seven Champions League outings this term.

Given the fact that Schalke need to go for it in an attacking sense, backing Both Teams to Score here looks a very good option considering Manchester City’s poor defensive showing on the continental stage this season. We’re backing that, along with a comfortable 3-1 win for the hosts.