Both Manchester City and Toronto FC would tell you that they would rather not be playing one another on Wednesday night in a friendly match. However, thanks to television and the money this match will provide, it will take place, though it should be noted that both sides are probably going to end up being weaker than usual.
NOTABLE ABSENTEES
Manchester City travelled to the Great White North with nothing near the side that finished second best in the Premier League this season. Sergio Aguero was a late scratch from this tour, while Martin Demichelis and Pablo Zabaleta are both not on the trip either. Frank Lampard has moved on from City as well and is actually headed to the team's associate club in the MLS, New York City FC.
Greg Vanney has made no bones about the fact that this isn't a fixture he is looking forward to playing, and as a result, vets like Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco probably won't end up playing for Toronto.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Anybody who has an injury or anything that they're carrying or trying to get over, we probably won't see much too much of them, if any. But I think the group will use it sort of as a training session." – Toronto FC manager Greg Vanney on what we can expect to see out of the Reds in this fixture
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The pressure won’t be on Manchester City to perform in this match, but there is definitely something here looming for this team. Aguero could have been a late scratch due to a rumored transfer to Real Madrid in the offseason, and many believe that Manuel Pellegrini is going to be canned as soon as this trip is said and done with.
Man City was in good form at the end of the season, but that second place finish was disappointing in the Premier League, especially knowing that there wasn't even anything near to a Cup final match in the cards.
How in the world can the Citizens really expect to be at their best, even if they are playing against a weakened side on the road?
That said, we don't expect a heck of a lot out of Toronto FC either in this one. There is more work to be done for Vanney's side to get back in its proper state for a charge to the MLS Cup, and this could be a decent test against some of the world's best players, and the reserves who will largely be on the pitch could be vying for playing time, particularly in the event of injuries to an aging team.
These friendly matches tend to be awfully unpredictable, and with no betting lines out as of Monday night, it's a tough one to handicap. However, the common thread is often times poor defending and opportunities at the back, especially with no pressure on whatsoever to perform.
Even if Manchester City didn't bring Aguero with it to Stateside, Edin Dzeko and the always dangerous Wilfried Bony are both here, as are James Milner, David Silva, Jesus Navas and Yaya Toure. All of them clearly won't play, and their replacements aren't nearly as good as they are, but they should produce some goal scoring opportunities. The over is the right play for sure.
Manchester City 3, Toronto FC 1
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Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The fixture between Toronto FC and Manchester City will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
