Manchester City Champions League Quarter Final Match Preview

One of the wonderful things about this season so far is Manchester City fans have continued to be able to dream about the far fetched idea of winning every trophy possible for so much longer than usual.

Here we are on the 9 April 2019 and this crazy unrealistic dream is still a remote possibility. As a fan of Manchester City I have wiled away many hours dreaming of the impossible over the years – and it is a source of great joy that I can say I have had the pleasure of watching most of those dreams come true – several times over. This year though, those crazy dreams and foolhardy bets may actually pay off!

At some point though as City fans we are all expecting those dreams to be punctured and for that quadruple to start whittling itself down to at least a treble, or maybe even a double. These are the days in April where our future and the possibility of entering various record books, will all be written.

More from Champions League

Drawing Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League did not seem all that bad a prospect back when the draw actually happened in Nyon, but things have changed since then. Spurs have begun to fashion a run for themselves and are buoyed by the prospect of a shiny new home, whilst City have stayed in touch on all fronts but have crucially seen their edge blunted in recent weeks. A game I would have been confident of is now riddled with doubt. Ultimately of course, it is always the hope which gets you in the end.

City looked tired against Brighton and the kind of tactical set up available to Pep Guardiola is possibly restricted by injury. The starting eleven presents some significant dilemmas for Guardiola. Does a recovering Aguero start over a stuttering but fit Jesus? With injuries to Zinchenko and Delph will Pep opt for a second start for the returning Mendy in three days? What combination should be used in central midfield to combat a bustling Spurs?

Tottenham have the advantage here due not to their shiny ground or fans but because they have not played for nearly a week. The fixtures have been kind and they are well rested and consequently will be full of energy. How we respond to that is likely to determine the game. Spurs will play a fast pressing game against us and will have the legs to outpace most of our side. They may even be comfortable to sit on the break and loft passes at Harry Kane in the hope of catching us out.

Pochettino will know Guardiola is most likely to attempt to win the tie by attacking from the off. Spurs will not be preparing to undo a defensive side, quite the contrary they will be all energy and set pieces. Knowing all of that will give Guardiola some food for thought.

If there has been one criticism of Pep during his time at City it is that in his desperate attempt to perform in the Champions League he has sometimes second guessed the opposition. Occasionally he has delivered a peculiar tactical flip and we watch aghast as the game slips past us. Think Monaco and Liverpool amongst others.

It is my view we are best when we play to our strengths rather than alter our approach to the opposition. I think generally those kind of changes to formation and personnel tend to undermine our performance level. I mention this today because the difficulties at left back could prompt Pep into trying a back three rather than a back four, which would provide the option of either playing two strikers or more likely to overload the central midfield.

I hope we stay with our preferred 4-3-3 and simply trust in our players to get the job done. We have to ask ourselves what constitutes a good result away in the Quarter Final? Will a draw be enough? Do we have to score? Would a narrow scoring loss be that bad? These questions are all difficult to answer but what I hope more than anything is that the impossible dream is not over by tomorrow evening.

What we know from watching City and Pep is that he will play the best team he has available. He will value experience and fitness at this point. But he may throw in a surprise to unsettle Spurs as well.

The defence will most likely be Ederson in goal with Kyle Walker at right back and Benjamin Mendy at left back. The centre back pairing will be John Stones and Aymeric Laporte with Fernandinho sat in front of them. I think Guardiola will use Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in the centre midfield slots. This will allow us to unleash our Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling combination on the wings, which at the very least will occupy the Spurs full backs – Trippier and Moura/Rose. Up top for us will be Sergio Aguero who will play until his legs can not carry him – so maybe 55 or 60 minutes.

Our most difficult game of the season so far with much at stake. Come on City!

Next. Three Things We Learnt From Watching City Progress to FA Cup Final. dark

Man City Square Predicted Starting XI

Goalkeeper

Ederson

Defence

Walker, Stones, Laporte, Mendy

Midfield

Fernandinho, Bernardo, De Bruyne

Attack

Sterling, Aguero, Sane

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