UEFA Champions League: Sporting vs Manchester City live
Preview
Man City will be looking for a first-leg boost when they travel to Portugal to play Sporting Lisbon at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in the Champions League last-16 round tonight at 20:00 GMT. The Cityzens finished first in Group A with 12 points, while Sporting finished second in Group C behind Ajax, just defeating Borussia Dortmund to a place in the round of 16.
Sporting’s dreams of retaining their first Primeira Liga championship in 19 years have been crushed after a 2-2 draw against Porto’s Sergio Conceicao’s side. Last week, both teams brawled, with four men being sent off in a tense classic. Sporting CP and league leaders Porto now have a solid six-point cushion at the top of the table.
Despite three defeats in the group stages, the Portuguese champions placed second behind Ajax in Group C to advance to the knockout rounds of the competition, gaining nine points from their six matches and guaranteeing a Champions League last-16 fixture against Manchester City.
Manchester City beat Dean Smith’s Norwich City 4-0 on Saturday in the Premier League, moving them nine points clear of Liverpool at the top. The Cityzens, who were one of the favourites to win the Champions League, were far from perfect in the group stage, losing two of their six games.
However, their 12 points were enough to put them ahead of Paris Saint-Germain in Group A. When the Manchester giants last visited Sporting in the Europa League in 2012, they were defeated 1-0, and they will be hoping for a redemption going forward into today’s match.
Head-to-head
Sporting CP have won seven of their past nine European games at home. They defeated Manchester City in the Europa League last-16 in 2012, winning on away goals following a 3-3 tie.
Prediction
Man City will be confident of securing a first-leg advantage this evening, but Sporting have earned a lot of respect this season for their efforts. The Portuguese giants should be able to score, but we are betting on the Cityzens to win in Lisbon.
