Manchester City beat Napoli home and away in 2017, while I Partenopei's only previous visit to the Etihad produced a 1-1 draw back in 2011.
Manchester City vs Napoli preview
Having made a mixed start to this season so far, can Manchester City start to build some momentum? On Sunday, Pep Guardiola's side demolished rivals Manchester United 3-0 at home, with Phil Foden's header breaking the deadlock, before Erling Braut Håland scored twice. This means the Citizens have won two and lost two in the Premier League so far, also battering Wolves on the opening day, but suffering successive defeats at the hands of Tottenham and Brighton in-between.
In Champions League terms, having reached at least the quarter-finals in seven successive seasons, the Sky Blues crashed out in the first knockout round at the hands of Real Madrid last year. They finished down in 22nd in the league phase, scraping through on the final matchday, with Slovan Bratislava, Sparta Prague and Club Brugge the only teams they enjoyed victories over.
This season, Man City will also welcome Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray to the Etihad, with away games against Monaco, Villarreal, Real Madrid and Bodø/Glimt in the calendar. So, will they start with a confidence-boosting victory on Thursday night?
As for Napoli, they won Serie A for just the fourth time in their entire history last season, but doing so for the second time in three seasons, pipping Inter to the Scudetto on the final day. However, I Partenopei do not boast much Champions League pedigree, reaching the quarter-finals for the very first time in 2022/23, but many are forecasting that they could make a deep run this time.
Antonio Conte's team have won three out of three in Serie A so far, beating both Sassuolo and then Cagliari, the latter courtesy of André-Frank Zambo Anguissa's 95th minute winner. Then, on Saturday night, Gli Azzurri were 3-1 winners at Fiorentina, thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Rasmus Højlund and then Sam Beukema. In the Champions League, they will welcome Sporting, Frankfurt, Qarabağ and Chelsea to Naples, with trips to PSV, Benfica and København also on the agenda. Here, can Napoli expose Manchester City's weaknesses and claim a statement victory at the Etihad?
Manchester City vs Napoli head-to-head record
- Matches Played: 4.
- Manchester City Wins: 2. Draws: 1. Napoli Wins: 1.
Manchester City team news
Pep Guardiola's side visit Arsenal in a huge game on Sunday, so will his lineup be with that in mind?
Gianluigi Donnarumma was thrown in for his debut in the Manchester derby, a penny for James Trafford's thoughts, but Rayan Aït-Nouri, John Stones, Mateo Kovačić, Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush are all sidelined.
Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico O'Reilly were the surprise starters at full-back on Sunday, so will they keep their places? It remains to be seen if Rodri is ready to start three games in eight days, while a Guardiola favourite Oscar Bobb could return out-wide.
Manchester City predicted lineup vs Napoli: (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Rúben Dias Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Rodri, Reijnders, Foden, Bobb, Doku; Håland.
Manchester City player to watch vs Napoli
Erling Braut Håland has scored 49 Champions League goals in 48 appearances in the competition, bagging three goals against Napoli during his time at RB Salzburg, so will he add to his tally?
Napoli team news
Antonio Conte's team are depleted, given that first choice goalkeeper Alex Meret, centre-back Amir Rrahmani and star striker Romelu Lukaku all currently injured.
Lukaku's injury saw them sign Rasmus Højlund on deadline day and, in classic player leaves Manchester United fashion, he marked his debut with a goal. Speaking of former Manchester-based players, Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne will both start in midfield; more on him in a second.
Napoli predicted lineup vs Manchester City: (4-3-3): Milinković-Savić; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; Lobotka, Zambo Anguissa, McTominay, De Bruyne, Politano; Højlund.
Napoli player to watch vs Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne made 422 appearances, scoring 108 goals and registering 177 assists before departing in the summer. The Belgian made it quite clear that it was not his decision to depart, so will have a point to prove, having already scored twice since joining Napoli on a free.
Manchester City vs Napoli prediction
This is hard to call, given that Man City have lost to both good teams they've faced so far this season, so we are backing Napoli to leave the Etihad with a share of the spoils: Manchester City 2-2 Napoli.
Manchester City vs Napoli FAQs - UEFA Champions League
How to watch Manchester City vs Napoli in the Champions League on TV channel?
Manchester City vs Napoli in the Champions League will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: TNT Sports 2.
- USA: Paramount+
- Canada: DAZN Canada
How to watch Manchester City vs Napoli in the Champions League on live streaming?
Manchester City vs Napoli in the Champions League will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: Discovery+
- USA: Paramount+
- Canada: DAZN Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Manchester City vs Napoli in the Champions League?
Manchester City vs Napoli takes place on Thursday 18 September 2025, with kick off at 20:00 (BST), 15:00 (EDT) & 12:00 (PDT).