Manchester City will look to complete their rout of Sporting CP when the two teams meet in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie on Wednesday.
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have all but secured their passage to the last eight of the UEFA Champions League courtesy of a 5-0 thumping of Sporting CP in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie in Lisbon last month.
One of the most formidable sides in world football, it is nigh on impossible to see the Sky Blues throw away a five-goal lead, especially while playing at home. Manchester City have a few players out for the night and can use the tie to give some of their fringe stars a proper runout.
Guardiola’s men are challenging for the Premier League title and the FA Cup and could do with a breather ahead of the upcoming set of fixtures. Continental glory continues to be the one success that eludes the Catalan manager at the Etihad, and it remains to be seen if he ends that wait this season.
Sporting CP have only pride to play for and have a rather abysmal record in England. In fact, they have only prevented Arsenal from scoring in their 14 trips to the country in the past.
The visitors are also running out of steam and have just two wins in their last six matches across all competitions. This is their worst run of results under Ruben Amorim, and a trip to the Etihad is the last thing he would have wanted at this stage.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Focus on the #UCL #ManCity pic.twitter.com/LuvXY7iJa0
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 8, 2022
The Premier League champions have a few players ruled out for the night. However, given the situation at hand and the healthy lead they possess, it is fair to say that they will not be missed.
Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, Zack Steffen and Cole Palmer are all sidelined with injuries, while Joao Cancelo misses out due to illness. Kyle Walker is suspended for the game, while Kevin De Bruyne picked up a slight knock against Manchester United. The Belgian is also a booking away from being suspended for the quarter-finals, and there is little need for Guardiola to risk him on the night.
Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus both played no role in the Manchester derby at the weekend. It would be a surprise if neither player started the game against Sporting CP and saw it through to its conclusion. Guardiola has enough leeway to experiment, and it remains to be seen just how far he is willing to do so. Manchester City will start in a 4-3-3 formation that uses their fluid playing style.
Ederson looks set to start in goal behind the back four of CJ Egan-Riley, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The midfield will be anchored by Brazilian ace Fernandindo, flanked by the dynamic duo of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva. The trio has enough experience and ability to snuff out the visitors’ hopes of a miraculous comeback.
Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus are expected to start upfront alongside youngster Liam Delap. The 19-year-old made his Champions League debut in the first leg and could now earn his first start in the competition.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Egan-Riley, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko; Fernandinho, Gundogan, Silva; Sterling, Delap, Jesus
Sporting CP
The Portuguese champions were given a stark reminder of the step up in quality when it comes to Europe’s top competition. FC Porto have found it difficult to compete in the competition over the past few years, and now Sporting are experiencing the same.
The Primeira Liga champions have little but pride to play for and can be expected to be up for the challenge. Ruben Amorim is among Europe’s best young managers, but finds himself up against one of the greatest of all time in Guardiola.
?????? em Manchester ✅ #MCFCSCP #UCL pic.twitter.com/l90z2SvmOo
— Sporting Clube de Portugal ? (@Sporting_CP) March 8, 2022
Sporting CP will be without Matheus Nunes, who is suspended for the game. The trio of Pote, Joao Palinha and Daniel Braganca remain doubtful, but thankfully for Amorim, Zouhair Feddal is now available.
Sporting are likely to deploy a 3-4-2-1 information to put numbers in the middle of the park and win the midfield battle. Antonio Adan will start in goal behind a back three of Goncalo Inacio, Sebastian Coates and Matheus Reis.
Pedro Porro and Ruben Vinagre will be the wing-backs and will have to bomb up and down the flanks. Meanwhile, Braganca and Manuel Ugarte will be tasked with winning the ball in midfield and shielding the defence from Manchester City’s frontline. Gundogan and Silva are wily customers who will bomb forward and will need to be stopped from running into channels created by the City forwards’ movement.
Pablo Sarabia and Nuno Santos will be tasked with offering creativity in the middle of the park. The duo look set to start behind either Islam Slimani or Paulinho, with the former likely to lead the line for Sporting on the night.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Adan; Reis, Coates, Inacio; Vinagre, Ugarte, Braganca, Porro; Sarabia, Santos; Slimani
Key Stats
- Manchester City have not been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League before the quarter-finals stage since 2016/17.
- A win on the night will see Manchester City record six straight home wins in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages for the first time in their history.
- No team has overturned a first-leg deficit of five goals in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
- Sporting CP have a 100 per cent losing record in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, losing all three of their games at this stage so far.
- Manchester City have hosted Portuguese opposition in the Champions League four times in the last three years, winning all of the games so far. Sporting CP are winless in their previous seven away games against English opposition in European competitions. They have also kept just one clean sheet against English opposition in England in their last 14 trips to the country.
Player to Watch
Ilkay Gundogan
The veteran midfielder looks set to lead the team out against Sporting CP, having come off the bench as a substitute against Manchester United at the weekend. The 31-year-old is a seasoned performer who excels both in attacking and defensive roles in midfield.
With Sporting CP expected to field a three-man backline, Gundogan will have a key role to play on the night. The German international is an excellent ball carrier and can drive forward from midfield to attack the opposition goal.
The midfielder’s leadership skills, coupled with his ability to make decisive passes, make him an all-rounder in the middle of the park. Any hopes Sporting CP have of orchestrating an upset will depend on them shackling the senior Manchester City star.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-0 Sporting CP
Pep Guardiola is not one to throw away a game despite having the luxury to field a comparatively weaker team. If anything, the fringe players have an opportunity to shine and stake a claim for a starting spot. This should give Manchester City enough motivation to get the job done against their visitors in front of the home crowd.
The Citizens should have enough quality in their ranks even with a changed look to put Sporting CP to the sword. The difference in quality between the sides is massive, and anything less than a Manchester City win can be considered an upset.
