On Tuesday, 1 October, Slovan and Manchester City will meet in the second round of the Champions League. This is a very interesting game in terms of odds: the English are favoured to win at 1.05. So far, this is an anti-record in the current Champions League. The odds on Slovan have soared to 48.00.

Manchester City is travelling to Slovakia on the back of several setbacks. The team failed to beat Arsenal at home and then settled for a draw with Newcastle away. Josep Guardiola's club has parted with the leadership in the APL.

The loss of points is not as bad as injuries to leading players. Manchester City will not be able to count on Rodri, a systemically important central midfielder, until the end of the season. Kevin De Bruyne can't return yet either. It turns out that the club is left without two main creators. Phil Foden has also lost his fighting form - the best player of last season is still content with the role of a rotation player.

Manchester City also failed to win the Champions League. The team did not crack Inter's defence in the first round, although they significantly outnumbered their opponents in terms of chances. The Italians were able to contain Erling Holand.

Slovan are the cheapest team in the Champions League, if you take the total transfer value. The Slovaks don't even reach 30 million euros, which is how much almost any starting line-up player costs at Man City. The Slovakian champion managed to qualify all the way to the group stage of four rounds.

The start in the main tournament was a failure: Slovan got crushed in Scotland, where Celtic played a great match. It cannot be said that the Slovaks were unlucky: the hosts did create a lot of chances.

Slovan did not fall into a crisis after the defeat. The club won three meetings in the domestic arena, scoring twelve goals. In its championship Slovan has seven wins in eight rounds.

Manchester City have a possible significant rotation compared to the game against Newcastle. Still, only three days will pass. In addition to Rodri and De Bruyne, the appearance on the field of Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb is ruled out.

Bookmakers are still very much underestimating Slovan. The team may not be up to the level of the Champions League group stage, but they are definitely capable of clinging to points in individual encounters. Against Manchester City, the hosts will be able to avoid a rout. The underlying total for the match is set at four goals. It is highly doubtful that the English will be able to scatter so much and with increased motivation to score goal after goal. It is a cold-blooded victory of the favourite. The team better save their energy for a more important stretch in the championship.