Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 7/10

Bookmaker: Luckster

The Estadio de la Cerámica will host a compelling Champions League encounter on Tuesday night as Villarreal welcome Manchester City in Matchday Three of the league phase. Both sides are chasing their first away win in Europe this season, and with plenty at stake, this promises to be a high-intensity affair.

City are looking to end a five-match winless run away from home in the Champions League, while Villarreal are still searching for their first victory in the competition this season.

Villarreal

Villarreal currently sit 26th in the Champions League league-phase standings, having picked up just one point from their opening two matches. Their last European outing saw them snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw against Juventus, courtesy of a late Renato Veiga header from a corner. That result followed a narrow 1-0 defeat to Tottenham on Matchday One.

Domestically, Villarreal are also struggling for consistency. They were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid before the international break and most recently drew 2-2 with Real Betis, extending their winless run to three matches in all competitions. Despite this, the Yellow Submarine remain a tough side to beat at home, having gone unbeaten in their last ten continental fixtures at La Cerámica.

However, their record against English opposition is poor—they’ve failed to win any of their last eight competitive matches against Premier League sides. Their last meetings with Manchester City came in the 2011-12 group stage, where they lost both games (2-1 away, 3-0 at home).

Team News

Manager Marcelino faces a defensive crisis with Logan Costa (ACL), Willy Kambwala (hamstring), Juan Foyth (unspecified), and young striker Pau Cabanes (ACL) all ruled out. However, Santiago Mourino returns from suspension and is expected to start at right-back.

In attack, Nicolas Pepe and Georges Mikautadze are likely to feature again after combining for a goal against Juventus. Renato Veiga, who scored the equalizer last time out, will anchor the defense alongside Rafa Marín, while Dani Parejo, Pape Gueye, and Santi Comesaña will form the midfield trio.

Manchester City

Manchester City sit 8th in the Champions League standings with four points from two matches. Their last European fixture ended in frustration, as a stoppage-time penalty from Eric Dier saw Monaco hold them to a 2-2 draw, despite a brace from Erling Haaland.

City’s away form in Europe has been troubling—they’ve failed to win any of their last five Champions League away games, losing four of those. Their last away victory came over a year ago against Slovan Bratislava.

However, Pep Guardiola’s side have been in excellent domestic form, winning their last two Premier League matches against Brentford (1-0) and Everton (2-0), extending their unbeaten run to eight games.

With Haaland back to his prolific best and new attacking options returning from injury, City will be confident of breaking their European away curse.

Team News

City are still without Rodri (hamstring) and Abdukodir Khusanov (ankle), while Rayan Ait-Nouri could return to the squad. Guardiola may rotate his lineup due to fixture congestion, with Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki potentially making their first Champions League appearances of the season.

Gianluigi Donnarumma will start in goal, with a back four likely consisting of Matheus Nunes, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly.

Nico González will anchor the midfield, supported by Bernardo Silva, Oscar Bobb, Phil Foden, and Jérémy Doku, with Erling Haaland leading the line.

Head-to-Head: City Hold the Edge

Villarreal and Manchester City have met twice before, both in the 2011/12 Champions League group stage. City won both encounters—2-1 at home and 3-0 away—asserting their dominance over the Spanish side.

Villarreal have also failed to beat any English club in their last eight attempts, a trend they’ll be desperate to reverse.

Conclusion

Villarreal’s home form and fighting spirit make them a dangerous opponent, but Manchester City’s attacking depth and recent domestic momentum give them the edge. With Haaland in red-hot form and reinforcements returning, City should have enough firepower to overcome their European away struggles.

Expect Villarreal to put up a fight, especially in front of their home crowd, but City’s quality and depth should shine through. A win for Guardiola’s men looks likely, though not without resistance from the hosts.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 7/10

Bookmaker: Luckster