Man City vs Sparta Prague Bet Builder Tips: Foden to fire in Europe again

Sparta Prague have enjoyed a great start to the league phase of the 2024/25 Uefa Champions League, beating Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 before holding Stuttgart to a 1-1 draw last time out. However, the Czech side face a proper test of their unbeaten credentials on Wednesday (20:00, TNT Sports 2) when they face reigning English Premier League champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Below you can find my Man City vs Sparta Prague Bet Builder tips, comprising four selections to shape up a 17/2 shot.

Football Odds

Man City vs Sparta Prague Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Man City vs Sparta Prague page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Total Goals - Over 2.5

Man City left it late at Molineux on Sunday but a header from John Stones saw them beat Wolves 2-1 to make it three wins in a row and 12 games unbeaten this season.

The Citizens didn't get off to the perfect start in the Champions League last month as Italian champions Inter Milan held them to a goalless draw at the Etihad, but that fixture was already marked as being one of their toughest in the opening months of the campaign.

They had no problem disposing of Slovan Bratislava at the start of this month, though, as they beat the Slovakian side 4-0 courtesy of strikes from Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and James McAtee.

Like Slovan, Sparta aren't expected to pose much of a problem on Wednesday, although the Czech champions are unbeaten in the league phase of the competition, beating Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 in Prague before drawing 1-1 with Stuttgart in Germany last time out.

There is very little value to be had in backing a City win, however, so a better shout is to select over 2.5 total goals which has landed in eight of City's last 10 matches - including their previous three - and in 11 of Sparta's 19 games since they started their domestic campaign on July 19.

Sparta also shipped 11 goals across two Europa League outings against Liverpool in 2023/24, losing the first leg 6-1 in Prague before suffering a 5-1 defeat at Anfield.

Anytime Goalscorer - Phil Foden (MCI)

Next, I'm picking Foden to net in back-to-back Champions League contests following his strike in Bratislava earlier this month.

It's not been an ideal beginning to the current campaign for the 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season, who has only started once in the English top flight this term.

The Champions League, he will hope, can act as a catalyst for a change in fortunes, with performances in this competition going some way to earning Pep Guardiola's trust in the Premier League.

Foden has been busy in Europe so far, shooting four times against Inter - despite only coming on at the start of the second half - and pulling the trigger five times away to Slovan, where he scored with the first of his efforts.

The 24-year-old should be handed a start on Wednesday after only playing the last half hour or so at Molineux, and if he reaches anywhere near his levels last season, he has a great chance of adding to his tally in the Champions League against Sparta.

1+ Player Shots - Lukas Haraslin (SPA)

I don't envisage Sparta getting many opportunities to show their promise in attack on Wednesday, but the continued absence of Rodri does make City more vulnerable, particularly on the counter-attack.

Lukas Haraslin is one player who could conceivably cause a bit of damage to the right-hand side of City's defence, which is likely to feature Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji.

Haraslin failed to get an effort off against Stuttgart but shot five times in Sparta's first league phase game at home to Salzburg, directing two of them on target.

The Czech Republic international has been a prolific shooter in the Czech First League this season, registering 2.8 shots per game, and his confidence should be up after scoring within three minutes of his introduction on Saturday as Sparta beat Slovan Liberec 2-1.

Haraslin wasn't afraid to try his luck when coming up against City's Premier League rivals Liverpool last season, forcing two saves from Reds goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and seeing another effort blocked in Prague. He was only a second-half substitute in the reverse leg but still managed to get a shot away late on, which was blocked by a defender again.

One shot is more than achievable for the 28-year-old at the Etihad, even though the hosts should dictate proceedings.

Player to Receive a Card - Martin Vitik (SPA)

My fourth and final selection for this Bet Builder is for Sparta defender Martin Vitik to receive a card from the referee.

The Slovakia international served a domestic suspension on the weekend but is set to be restored to the Sparta starting XI on Wednesday, and he could well be in the thick of the action again.

Jeremy Doku started on the left-hand side of the City attack at Wolves on the weekend and is a tricky, speedy winger who causes nightmares for opposition defenders. The Belgian has been fouled an average of 1.1 times per game in the Premier League this season and 2.8 times per game in the Uefa Nations League for his country, so the right-hand side of Sparta's defence will have to be on their guard if he does start.

More likely, though, is that Jack Grealish will begin Wednesday's match in Manchester, and the former Aston Villa playmaker was fouled five times in City's last European outing at the Etihad, a 0-0 draw with Inter.

Like Sparta, Inter deploy a three-man defence with two wing-backs, and both their right-sided centre-back Yan Bisseck and right wing-back Matteo Darmian were penalised for upending Grealish last month.

Vitik, meanwhile, is likely to play Bisseck's position, with Ecuador international Angel Preciado pushed slightly further forward in a role akin to that of Darmian's, meaning both players should come into direct contact with Grealish on Wednesday.

It's the Slovakian who takes my fancy as the more likely to get booked. He's committed a foul in each of his Champions League appearances this season, receiving a yellow card in Sparta's win over Salzburg.

The 28-year-old is also averaging 1.5 fouls per game in the Czech First League (eight starts) where he has already been sent off this term for two bookable offences against local rivals Slavia Prague.

He looks a good shout to be booked up against Grealish & Co. in midweek, and this fourth leg takes the Bet Builder up to a healthy-looking 17/2.

Offers

Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any Champions League game on Tuesday or Wednesday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Thursday’s Europa League/Europa Conference League games. (Credited upon Bet Settlement).

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.