Champions League
2025-10-21 - Villarreal vs Manchester City
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League
Tuesday 21st October 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Villarreal
They did not play in any European competition last season and Villarreal are making their return to the Champions League for the first time since reaching the Semi Final in 2022. Defeats in the Last 16 in the Conference League and Europa League is about as good as it has gotten for Villarreal in the last three years and they have already found out the gap that needs to be bridged to have any kind of impact in this competition.
A very late goal earned Villarreal a 2-2 draw with Juventus on Match Day 2, but that is the only point secured from the opening two matches. There is little reason to panic just yet as far as finishing in the top twenty-four places, but Villarreal will know the importance of trying to pick up some momentum after that draw with Juventus and push on for another positive result.
Villarreal could not hold onto a 2-0 lead over Real Betis this past weekend and have now failed to win any of their last 3 games in all competitions. That result has moved the unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions at home, but Villarreal had won 8 straight here before the 2-2 draws with both Juventus and Real Betis.
There are a few injuries piled up in the same centre back position for Villarreal, which has to be a concern when getting ready to face Erling Haaland.
Manchester City
All of the domestic attention has been on Arsenal and Liverpool, but Pep Guardiola's men have continued to bounce back from a difficult opening month of the campaign. All of a sudden Manchester City are up into 2nd place, while they have also made a positive start to the Champions League with the ambition to finish in the top eight still firmly in mind.
Last season Manchester City needed big results in January to avoid an embarrassing early exit from the Champions League, but they fell in the Last 16 anyway in what was a poor campaign overall. They have picked up 4 points from the opening two fixtures in this League Phase, which means Manchester City are currently 8th in the standings. However, there will be frustration that they allowed Monaco to equalise deep into stoppage time in a 2-2 away draw on Match Day 2.
Manchester City are unbeaten in 8 games in all competitions following the 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday and they have won 6 of those fixtures. The exceptions have been in away games at Arsenal and Monaco and both times the equalisers have been given away in injury time. Manchester City have won 2 of their last 5 away games in all competitions and one of those was at League One Huddersfield Town in the Cup.
Changes are likely to be made by the manager as he looks to reintegrate players that have only just returned from injury. Rayan Ait-Nouri could potentially return, while the likes of Ryan Cherki may be given a start to build up match fitness.
Head to Head
These clubs met in the Champions League Group Stage in 2011/12 and Manchester City won both fixtures.
The game hosted by Villarreal ended 0-3.
Prediction
They have moved up into 2nd place in the Premier League table and the worry for the rivals around Manchester City is that it feels like there is still more to come from Pep Guardiola's team.
Injuries are beginning to clear up, which will mean a greater depth of options, and Erling Haaland is playing with supreme confidence right now.
After the struggles in the League Phase of this competition last season, Manchester City look more focused in their bid to avoid the same drama of trying to move into the Knock Out Rounds. They have picked up 4 points already, but that should have been more after dominating Monaco and failing to finish them off before conceding an injury time Penalty.
This does look a tough test when visiting a Villarreal team that are unbeaten in 12 at home in all competitions.
However, that run was almost ended by Juventus on Match Day 2 and Villarreal needed an injury time equaliser of their own that day. They have since blown a 2-0 lead in a 2-2 draw with Real Betis and it feels like this Villarreal team are vulnerable enough defensively to give Manchester City the edge.
The away form has not been the most convincing, but Manchester City should be strong enough to find a couple of goals here and that may be enough to pick up three more points in the Champions League.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Villarreal 1-2 Manchester City
