Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Young Boys will be aiming to claim a major scalp in Group G when they take on Manchester City at their Stadion Wankdorf on Wednesday evening. The Yellow-Blacks played out a 2-2 draw with Crvena Zvezda in their second group game, with the team experiencing all sorts of problems at the back in the second half. Even though there are no fresh injury worries in the home team, we are not tempted to put our money on the underdogs.
Pep Guardiola’s troops, on the other hand, have regained a much-needed confidence thanks to a 2-1 win over Brighton. The Citizens aim to cement top position in Group G and we predict that they will take advantage of Young Boys’ shaky defence. A man to keep an eye on in the away team will be Erling Haaland, who found the net at the weekend. Pep Guardiola has no fresh injury worries ahead of the trip to Bern, but both Nathan Ake and Jack Grealish should sneak into the starting XI.
Highlighted Player (Nathan Ake):
Ake is a professional footballer who plays for the Dutch National Team and AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The versatile defender who was born on the 18th of February, 1995, started his youth career in 2003 with local club ADO Den Haag. He then moved to Feyenoord in 2007 before joining Chelsea's youth academy four years later.
Ake made his first professional appearance at the age of 17, playing for the Blues in a 0-1 away victory against Norwich on the 26th of December, 2012. Barring a few starts and substitute appearances, Ake spent his next few years at Chelsea mostly in the reserves before being sent out on a one month loan to Reading in 2015. Upon his return, he immediately joined Watford on a season-long loan where his displays earned him the Watford's young player of the season award. Another successful loan spell at Bournemouth succeeded his time at Watford before Chelsea recalled him in January 2017.
At the start of the 17/18 season, the 24-year-old rejoined his current club Bournemouth permanently on a five-year contract worth 20 million pounds. On the International stage, Ake has represented the Netherlands at every youth level and has even captained the under-17 and under-19 sides. He made his first senior appearance on the 31st of May, 2017, featuring in Hollands 2-1 friendly win over Morocco.
Highlighted Team (Young Boys):
Just five years after its foundation Young Boys won their first Swiss Super League trophy (1903). The capital club won no less than 11 domestic trophies in the 20th century, but they have been in Basel’s shadow in the last two decades. Young Boys won their last Swiss Super League title back in 1986, while lifting their last Swiss Cup trophy in 1987.
The Yellow and Blacks welcome their rivals at Stade de Suisse, which acts as a national stadium and it has to be noted that they play their home games on artificial turf. Swiss football legend Stephane Chapuisat played for the club in the past and you should bear in mind that former Yugoslavia coach Vujadin Boskov played for the Stade de Suisse outfit in the past as well.
Young Boys played their first official game on 29 June, 1898 and they shared the spoils with Institute Grunau back then. The Swiss team participated in the 2016/2017 Champions League qualifiers, but they failed to make it to the group stages of the elite competition.