After a surprise win at their new stadium, Tottenham Hotspur come into their 2019 UEFA Champions League quarter final with a chance at going through. When the draw was made, many assumed that Spurs would simply be fodder for Manchester City. A well-deserved 1-0 win in the first leg, though, sets up the return match to be an absolute cracker.
Manchester City News
In terms of injuries, only Fernandinho is missing for City. Claudio Bravo won’t make it, as he is still out long-term. However, his season-ending injury has more or less meant little to City, as Ederson has stayed fit all season.
City will be looking to make the most of a fully fit squad and use their fitness to push Spurs back. With Tottenham in need of some creative squad management themselves, it will be interesting to see how City approach this. If they go for it from the first minute, they could very easily come out the other side with a massive win.
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Spurs, though, are no layabouts. They are a quality side; the main doubt comes from squad depth. With Harry Kane, Erik Lamela, Serge Aurier, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Fernando Llorente all more than likely out, Spurs are very thin in terms of players.
This could be their downfall in what will surely be a long evening. As the game goes on, Mauricio Pochettino has less players than he usually would to call upon. In such a tight match, that – rather than any tactical issues – will likely be their biggest obstacle to going through.
Verdict
City to go through. Spurs will score, but we can see City getting the three they need. The carrot of a tie against (most likely) Juventus in the semi-finals should spur City on to victory.