Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade predictions: Champions League tips and odds

Our betting expert has three Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade tips for the Champions League game at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday (kick-off, 8pm BSt). Scroll down to see the analysis behind his selections.

Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade betting tips

• Man City and under 3.5 goals in match @ 6/4 with Paddy Power
• Julian Alvarez first scorer @ 4/1 with Paddy Power
• Bet builder – Aleksandar Katai 1+ shot on target, City 8+ fouls and Red Star +4 alternative handicap @ 5/1 with Paddy Power

Odds correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

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Low-scoring success on cards for City

Manchester City kick off the defence of their Champions League title with a home tie against the 1991 winners Red Star Belgrade, in a first-ever meeting between the clubs. 

Pep Guardiola’s side have started the season like a train, pipping Sevilla in the Super Cup and winning their first five league games.

Red Star head to Manchester in mixed form, having lost two of their previous three after a 65-match unbeaten run in the Serbian Super League, although head coach Barak Bakhar did make several changes to his squad for the weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Cukaricki.

They are the top scorers in the division with 21 goals in seven matches, of which Jean-Philippe Krasso, a summer signing from Saint-Etienne, has scored.

Clearly scoring goals against modest Serbian opposition and finding a way past City are two very different exercises, and Red Star will be hell-bent on staying tight and compact in a bid to thwart the inevitable onslaught.

City are unbeaten in 26 European home matches – 24 of them wins – so it is hard to foresee them not winning this. However, a few fringe players could feature as injuries mount and the clever money might be on this not being a landslide.

Man City vs Red Star tip 1: Man City and under 3.5 goals in match @ 6/4 with Paddy Power

Alvarez offers value to break deadlock

The one certainty is that City are going to create chances in this Group G opener. In the 3-1 win at West Ham on Saturday, they racked up 29 shots and are averaging 19.4 per game in the Premier League, a number bettered only by Tottenham.

Erling Haaland is the obvious threat given his domestic and European exploits last season and he is up and running this term with seven goals in five league games.

The strapping Norwegian is also a short price to land first goalscorer honours and Julian Alvarez looks a better alternative.

The Argentina frontman has two goals to his name this term, opening the scoring on both occasions, and in this fluid City set-up he will unquestionably get his share of chances.

Man City vs Red Star tip 2: Julian Alvarez first scorer @ 4/1 with Paddy Power

Katai can warm Ederson’s gloves

It would be almost impossible for City not to give up at least one effort on their own goal over the course of 90 minutes – they ship 6.2 chances per game in the Premier League.

This is effectively a free hit for the Serbs, who are expected to get nothing from the game so may as well have a go at some point. And Guardiola will ring the changes to a degree as injuries start to bite.

An Aleksandar Katai shot on target at 21/10 is suggested as a platform for a bet builder. Katai was top scorer last season and is fresh this term having just recovered from a back injury.

City are averaging over nine fouls per game so eight or more home infringements looks acceptable, as does Red Star to land +4 alternative handicap honours.

Man City vs Red Star tip 3: A Katai 1+ shot on target, Man City 8+ fouls and Red Star +4 alternative handicap - bet builder @ 5/1 with Paddy Power

Man City vs Man City odds

Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.