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Man City set for Champions League revenge as Tottenham visits Etihad

By Dennis Erezi
17 April 2019   |   3:42 pm
Pep Guardiola led Manchester City will look to halt the trend of upsets in the 2018/2019 Uefa Champions League season as fellow English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur visit the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night. Tottenham, like Ajax, who have already sent three-time consecutive champions Real Madrid and favourites Juventus packing from the Europe elite…

Pep Guardiola led Manchester City will look to halt the trend of upsets in the 2018/2019 Uefa Champions League season as fellow English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur visit the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

Tottenham, like Ajax, who have already sent three-time consecutive champions Real Madrid and favourites Juventus packing from the Europe elite football competition, has all it takes to deny the Citizens a place in the Champions League semi-final.

Spurs have the advantage going into the second leg tie with a hard-fought 1-0 win from last week’s 1st leg of the quarter-final clash at the Tottenham Stadium in London.

Despite the advantage, many believe Manchester City have the arsenal to overturn the goal deficit to advance into the semi-final.

Man City coach Guardiola knows how difficult it was to play their Premier League counterparts in the 1st leg. But he is optimistic of a better performance at the Etihad.

“(The home game) is not going to be similar,” Guardiola said in a press conference.

“We have to score goals and the reason why we tried to control the game that day was because of the matches that we had ahead of us at that moment.”

Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino said the tie remains an open one for either team to progress to the semis of the Champions League.

“For us, beating them in the first leg was an incredible result, but the tie is still open,” Pochettino said.

“Whatever happens tomorrow, we’re going to be proud of our path in the Champions League [to this point], but that does not mean we’re not going to fight.”

Team news

The game may come too soon for Fernandinho who is only just on his way back from a muscle problem. Oleksandr Zinchenko may also miss out with a hamstring injury but Sergio Aguero, who came off early in the win against Crystal Palace on Sunday, is fit.

For the visitors, Dele Alli is back in training after breaking his hand a week ago but could be risked while Erik Lamela, who hasn’t played since early March, could also be in contention.

Ivorian Serge Aurier and the English duo of Eric Dier and Harry Winks have already been ruled out as has talisman Harry Kane, who suffered season-ending ankle ligament damage in the first leg.

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