With 4 English teams that progressed into the Champions League quarter-finals, it was bound to happen that two would meet and play against each other. The two teams that did end up paired are the EPL league leaders Manchester City and Tottenham, who will test their strength against each other on April 9th. The first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals will take place at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham
Tottenham, one of the strongest English teams, are still looking to prove themselves on the European stage. As of now, their biggest accomplishment was the UEFA Winners Cup title in 1962/1963 and two titles in the UEFA Cup tournament in 1971/72 and 1983/84. However, since then, Tottenham always failed short of proving themselves to the world. Last season, Tottenham got eliminated by Juventus (4:3) in the 1/8 finals, a year prior, they failed to advance from the group stage, while the 2015/16 Champions League started without them. After disappointing results on the European level in the last years, Tottenham are on the verge of a historic achievement of advancing further than any year before. As it stands now, Tottenham best result in the Champions League was reaching the quarterfinals in 2010/2011 when they lost to Real Madrid with an aggregate score of 0:5.
Looking at Tottenham Champions League campaign this season, they started off, in a group B, where they got paired with Barcelona, Inter and PSV. Despite a relatively tough group, Tottenham advanced with a 2-2-2 record. In the 1/8 finals, the Spurs met with Borussia Dortmund, who failed to stop them in both legs. The first match that took place in England ended with 3:0, which more or less sealed the deal for Borussia, who also lost to Tottenham at home (0:1). With impressive results in the Champions League, Tottenham hope they are ready to face off against a well-known opponent, Manchester City.
Manchester City
Manchester City the EPL champions are recognised by bookmakers as the favourites to go all the way in the Champions League this year. This on its own might not come off as a surprise, however, we must keep in mind that Manchester City has never won the Champions League. The furthest they have gone was semi-finals in 2015/16 when they lost to Real Madrid (0:1). Last season City got eliminated by Liverpool (1:5) in the quarterfinals, and the year before that by Monaco in the round of 16. Now it’s a new year and a new chance to prove themselves to the world, and looking at their form, players and the coach, Manchester City look like a serious competitor to finally lift the trophy. Their Champions League campaign started in the Group F, where Manchester City got paired with Lyon, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Hoffenheim, who did not put up much resistance to the English giants. Manchester City ended the group stage at the top with a 4-1-1 record, 5 points above the 2nd placed Lyon. In the round of 16, City got paired with the German side, Schalke, who were no match for the English side. City convincingly won with an aggregate score of 2:10. After dominant performances in the group stage, and 1/8 Finals City have made it clear they will chase the glory this season. While the road is still long and unforgiving, Manchester City are still considered as favourites this year.
Tottenham vs Manchester City Prediction
These two teams know each other well enough for us to have a better picture of who will have an edge over the other. Historically, the Sky Blues are the stronger team, as they have won all of the last 4 H2H encounters against the Spurs. Additionally, the Spurs are not in the best shape prior to the quarter-finals match. Looking at their last 3 Premier League fixtures, Spurs only managed to win once against Crystal Palace (2:0), while Southampton (2:1) and Liverpool (2:1) both proved to be too tough of an opponent for them. Due to disappointing results in recent weeks, Spurs are also on the verge of losing their spot among the top 4 teams in the EPL. On the other side, City are in the best form of the season, which they have to be if they are serious about finishing above Liverpool in the Premier League. Manchester City have not lost a single match in the last 14 played. Furthermore, they have won all of their last 14 matches. There is not a lot to say here. The only thing Tottenham has going for them is the home ground advantage, while City has the squad quality, depth and good form on their side. All in all, this match should be no different from the last 4 when City met with Spurs. In other words, we expect City to win the first leg and gather a nice lead before the 2nd leg at Etihad Stadium on April 17th.
Tottenham vs Manchester City Betting Tip
Manchester City to win; Odds: 1.85 Pinnacle
