Three months after the victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul, Manchester City will start their UEFA Champions League title-defense quest with the home fixture against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday night at Etihad Stadium.

The Citizens stand alone at the top of the Premier League standings with four wins in four opening games, including a 5-1 thrashing of Fulham just before the international break.

Erling Haaland completed a hat-trick on the occasion to take his league tally to six goals in four appearances.

The Norwegian superstar was also on target for his national team during the recent international break and there are no doubts that he will get a lot of room to deliver in the final third here against Group G minnows.

Red Star Belgrade secured the group phase of the elite continental competitions thanks to their country’s improved coefficient.

They took advantage of this and signed numerous acquisitions this summer. The likes of Peter Olayinka and Jean Philippe Krasso are proving to be phenomenal additions to this team as they are firing on all cylinders in the final third at the beginning of the season in the Serbian top flight.

Edmund Addo, Milos Degenek, and Omri Glazer improved the team’s defense while Adana Demirspor’s striker Cherif Ndiaye is the latest signing.

The Verdict

The difference in quality between these teams is massive and anything but a commanding victory for the reigning champions would represent a huge upset. That said, we would not be surprised to see the visitors on the scoresheet knowing how efficient they’ve been this summer. They’ve bagged five first-half goals in a demolishing win over Italian Serie A side Fiorentina in a preseason friendly.

Manchester City to win & Both Teams To Score looks very tempting at the 2.62 odds. We will also back Erling Haaland to score two or more goals at the 2.10 odds.

Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade Betting Tips