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Manchester City v Sparta Prague
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Manchester City v Sparta Prague: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Manchester City will make UEFA Champions League history on Wednesday night if they avoid defeat against Sparta Prague on Matchday Three.

City have gone a joint-record 25 games unbeaten in the competition and can eclipse Manchester United and make it 26 with a win or a draw against the Czech champions.

Manchester City v Sparta Prague

Manchester City v Sparta Prague betting tips and predictions

Manchester City & Both Teams to Score @ 21/10

City have made hard work of beating Premier League rivals either side of the international break, though it should be plainer sailing against Sparta in the UEFA Champions League.

Pep Guardiola's Premier League champions were hanging on for a 3-2 win over Fulham before the break and then grateful for a dose of VAR generosity to sneak a 2-1 win at Wolves on Sunday.

They are creating chances and they are scoring goals, but they aren't quite at their well-oiled best and they are conceding goals and that all adds up to a possible bet.

While it's hard to think of any rock-solid reason why City won't beat a Sparta side who were battered 6-1 at Anfield by Liverpool in the UEFA Europa League in March, there is definitely a case for thinking Lars Friis' visitors can find the net in defeat.

These sides meet at the City of Manchester Stadium locked together in the new group-stage standings on four points.

City were held 0-0 by Inter Milan in their opener and bounced back with a stunning 4-0 win at Sparta's long-lost rivals Slovan Bratislava.

Sparta, meanwhile, followed a fine 3-0 win over Red Bull Salzburg with a solid 1-1 draw at Stuttgart and analysis of that match adds weight to the idea of backing City and Both Teams to Score at 21/10.

Stuttgart absolutely dominated the game with 26 shots, 10 of which were on target, but Peter Vindahl in the Sparta goal had one of those nights when he could do no wrong, pulling off nine saves.

Sparta had only 23 per cent possession yet were a threat on the break through the likes of Veljko Birmancovic and Lukas Haraslin and fired off 10 shots themselves.

It's clear City will boss the ball and carve out chances galore but Sparta can play their part. They have played 19 matches this season and have scored in every single one of them.

On the flip side, however, they haven't kept a clean sheet in four, losing 3-2 at home to Sigma Olomouc and 2-1 at bitter rivals Slavia in the Czech League to drop off the pace, either side of the draw in Stuttgart. They righted the boat with a hard-earned 2-1 win over Liberec on Sunday.

City are unbeaten in 12 this season and will throw everything at Sparta. They should win and win as well as a 1/14 shot is expected to, but they may well concede during the fun.

Matheus Nunes Over 0.5 Shots on Target @ 5/4

Matheus Nunes has struggled for pitch time since his summer switch from Wolves. The Portugal international has yet to start a Premier League game this season, making just five brief appearances off the bench.

He did, however, start and score in the EFL Cup win over Watford and he also played the full 90 in the 4-0 win at Slovan in the previous round of UEFA Champions League action.

With Guardiola juggling personnel and Rodri out and Kevin de Bruyne struggling, it means midfielders like Nunes will be used more often and he can expect a start against Sparta.

At Slovan, Nunes managed to fire off a couple of City's 28 shots and with the English side camped in and around Sparta's box, expect him to at least repeat that feat.

In that case, the 5/4 he gets just one on target seems perfectly acceptable.

Manchester City -7 Corner Handicap @ 1/1

For a favourite to cover a corner handicap of seven might seem fanciful, but the evidence from the last round of matches suggests it should be routine for the Citizens.

They won their corner count 15-0 in Bratislava, while Sparta lost theirs in Stuttgart 10-0, so it looks like being one-way traffic and City can cover the spread at 1/1.

Read more football betting tips and predictions.

Manchester City v Sparta Prague odds

Manchester City - 1/14
Draw - 11/1
Sparta Prague - 28/1

View the full market and more odds for Manchester City v Sparta Prague on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.

To bet on the UEFA Champions League, check out our betting hubs with everything you need to know including latest fixtures, odds, news, offers and guides.

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