SM
Watford vs. Oxford Utd: 1 hr 18 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
Collect News Data
MC
Champions League | Last 16 | 2nd Leg
Mar 9, 2022 at 8pm UK
Etihad Stadium
SL

Man City
0 - 0
Sporting Lisbon

Preview: Manchester City vs. Sporting Lisbon - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Manchester City vs. Sporting Lisbon - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Champions League clash between Manchester City and Sporting Lisbon, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

Having stormed to an emphatic 5-0 win in the first leg, Manchester City welcome Sporting Lisbon to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

The Citizens have one foot firmly in the quarter-finals of the competition as they endeavour to keep their hopes of a domestic and continental treble alive.


Match preview

Pep Guardiola needs no reminding of how the Champions League has eluded him time and time again during his time with Man City, but his side laid down a marker in the first leg of their last-16 battle against the reigning Portuguese champions.

Bernardo Silva struck twice alongside efforts from Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden to effectively kill off the tie over the course of 90 minutes, and a similar ruthless streak was on show when bitter rivals Manchester United paid a visit on Sunday.

Indeed, Guardiola's men taught their former noisy neighbours a footballing lesson in a 4-1 romping to re-establish their six-point lead atop the Premier League rankings, with City winning seven of their last eight fixtures in all competitions ahead of the second leg.

Not since the 2016-17 season have the Citizens failed to make it as far as the quarter-finals in the Champions League, and a slice of history is also on the line this week, as City could match the record for six consecutive home wins in the Champions League knockout stages.

Furthermore, each of City's last 10 home games in Europe's elite competition have seen the Premier League champions come up trumps - scoring at least two goals on each occasion - and Sporting are realistically only playing for pride this week.

While there is certainly no shame in coming out second best against Man City, the manner of Sporting's capitulation at home to the English champions was alarming for Ruben Amorim, whose side need to pull off the greatest Champions League comeback in history to advance.

It will come as no surprise to learn that no team has ever come back from a five-goal first-leg deficit to advance in the Champions League, with Barcelona's extraordinary Remontada against Paris Saint-Germain five years ago (0-4 away and 6-1 at home) representing the next best thing.

On a brighter note for Sporting, they have not let their heads drop domestically and come into the second leg having won two and drawn one of their last three Primeira Liga matches, including a 2-0 success over Arouca on Saturday thanks to Islam Slimani's brace.

Sporting have never advanced past the last-16 stage of the Champions League and that is incredibly unlikely to change this week, with the Portuguese side only making it this far once before in 2008-09 and ironically losing the first leg of that tie 5-0 to Bayern Munich. The German giants then went on to complete the job with an even greater margin of victory in the second leg, 7-1.

Man City and Sporting have only ever met at the Etihad once before - with the Citizens marching to a 3-2 success in the last-16 of the Europa League but being dumped out on away goals - and one or two consolation strikes will surely be the only potential joy for the visitors on Wednesday.

Manchester City Champions League form:
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • W

Manchester City form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • W

Sporting Lisbon Champions League form:
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • L

Sporting Lisbon form (all competitions):
  • D
  • L
  • W
  • D
  • L
  • W

Team News

Man City right-back Kyle Walker must serve the second of a three-game European ban this week, so Oleksandr Zinchenko can expect to be drafted in on the left-hand side with Joao Cancelo ill.

Guardiola must make do without Ruben Dias for at least four weeks due to a hamstring injury, and Nathan Ake will not shake off a knock in time to feature on Wednesday, while Cole Palmer and Zack Steffen continue to struggle with foot and back injuries respectively.

With the tie all but won, Guardiola may opt to rest Kevin De Bruyne - who would miss the first leg of the quarter-finals if he is booked here - as Ilkay Gundogan returns to man the engine room.

As for Sporting, Amorim has a suspension of his own to work around in the form of Matheus Nunes, so Manuel Ugarte ought to deputise for the visitors this week.

Two big names in Joao Palhinha and Pedro Goncalves are also set to miss out due to injury alongside Daniel Braganca, so Amorin may be forced to pair Ugarte up with 16-year-old Dario Essugo in the middle.

Man City loanee Pedro Porro will likely line up against his parent club on the right-hand side again, while it is a two-man shootout between Slimani and Paulinho to lead the line.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Stones, Fernandinho, Laporte, Zinchenko; Gundogan, Rodri, Silva; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling

Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:
Adan; Reis, Coates, Inacio; Porro, Ugarte, Essugo, Vinagre; Sarabia, Slimani, Edwards


We say: Manchester City 3-0 Sporting Lisbon

Sporting can afford to play without fear at the Etihad knowing that their efforts will likely be in vain either way, but the absence of two key midfielders spells danger for the beleaguered visitors.

City need not throw caution to the wind given their healthy five-goal advantage, but Guardiola will still expect his side to win with minimal difficulty as quarter-final preparations begin.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 2.5:data




body check tags ::

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


amp_article__480068 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase  : 
last updated article - 2024-06-05 13:02:37:
html db last update - 2024-06-05 13:02:37 :

ex - 7200 : read : write cache and make html
Read more!
Share this article now:


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!
Recommended Next on SM
Fernandinho hands Zinchenko captaincy for Man City's FA Cup tie
"I agree" - Van Nistelrooy makes striker admission amid Hojlund, Zirkzee struggles
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

history www

Can Chelsea learn from Arsenal mistakes? Ex-scout suggests next phase for Estevao

1

CC

Double reunion in doubt? Arteta gives Rice, Havertz injury updates before Chelsea

2

DR

Preview: FC Twente vs. Ajax - prediction, team news, lineups

NEW

3

PF

Preview: Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona - prediction, team news, lineups

4

PR

Preview: Nott'm Forest vs. Newcastle - prediction, team news, lineups

5

PN

Preview: Chelsea vs. Arsenal - prediction, team news, lineups

6

PC

Amorim receives major injury boost ahead of Man United arrival

7

AR

Cubarsi to play in a mask? Predicted Barcelona XI vs. Real Sociedad

8

CT

Will Chelsea or Arsenal win five-goal spectacular? Premier League GW11 predictions

9

WC

Preview: Le Havre vs. Reims - prediction, team news, lineups

10

PL


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .