Welcome to another week packed with delights from European football, including the latest interest from the UEFA Champions League. Armchair fans have a double header to look forward to with AC Milan looking to protect a 1-0 aggregate lead over FC Porto while Manchester City host RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium.
The match in England starts at 20:00 GMT and will be shown to a global audience thanks to TV and live-streaming coverage. But which team will emerge victorious in England, the hosts or the visitors? The tie hangs in the balance following a 1-1 draw in Germany after the first leg.
Man City is the favourites to win this game, and many respected pundits have the Premier League champions picked to blaze a trail of glory to the final. Pep Guardiola is as experienced as they come at this level and has helped Man City dominate England during much of his reign, but this trophy continues to elude the team.
They have thrown millions at becoming the kings of Europe so far without success. A runner-up spot behind Chelsea remains their best effort, but will they go one better this year? City fans know their fate rests in their hands and can’t ask for much more than that.
Head-to-head stats
When attempting to predict the outcome of this match, you’ll find all the information you need here on this page. Our football writers preview the second leg decider, looking back at what happened in the first leg and the recent form of both sides. You’ll find our predictions and how the traders expect Tuesday evening’s blockbuster to pan out.
This will be the fourth time these teams have met in competitive action, and there’s nothing between the pair on the head-to-head stats. Both teams boast one win each with the spare a draw. That suggests we can expect another action-packed and competitive 90 minutes with extra time and penalties available if required.
With the game there to be won for both teams, it’s dangerous to write either side off in a competition where the unexpected happens regularly. But one thing is certain: Tuesday’s face-off will provide us with one winner and a loser. The game may be settled in regulation time or need extra time and penalties to find the best.
The strongest team will go to the next round, moving closer to the grand prize. But who will that be, the Cityzens or the Bulls? Let’s take a closer look at this mouth-watering Round of 16 tie.
Man City held their own in Leipzig
Manchester City went to Germany for the first leg with one goal to avoid defeat and remain in the tie ahead of the second leg. They wanted to hold the home advantage from a favourable position and did just that thanks to a 1-1 draw.
Both teams had chances on the night to win the game, but few sides came away from Leipzig with victory in Europe, so the English team had to make do with a level result. It was a great match, and losing the first leg would’ve been unfair for either team. The tie is now finely poised, and we can expect another thrilling contest from the Etihad.
Man City took the lead in Germany, silencing the fans with a goal from Riyad Mahrez in 27 minutes. That was exactly what the EPL team deserved, and many pundits expected them to pull clear from there, scoring a few more goals and taking a comfortable lead back to England. They did get one goal from Mahrez but fluffed their lines on several occasions in the second half.
After the interval, a misfiring attack from their opponents led to the Bulls getting level. They scored to make it 1-1 and threw themselves a lifeline thanks to Josko Gvardiol, who found the net on 70 minutes. Even most Man City fans expected RB to score at least one goal, so the result wasn’t difficult. It’s only halftime in this tie.
One final charge from the Bulls
RB Leipzig knew their best chance of going to the next round would come from making home advantage count in the first leg. They didn’t manage to do that, going behind early in the game before pulling a goal back.
A 1-1 result wasn’t what they were after, but no away goal rule will be enforced this year, meaning the game at the Etihad is a straight shoot-out. It’s winner-stays-on, but which team will be better over the 90 minutes?
RB Leipzig heads to Manchester on a strong run of form, with their recent Bundesliga stats showing three wins and two defeats in their last five. They are third in the table and already seven points off the pace set by Bayern Munich, with Borussia Dortmund five behind in second.
A league title win remains possible, and no one connected to the Bulls will be ready to throw in the towel just yet. There’s still all to play for domestically and on the continent. They board a plane with the confidence taken from a weekend win over Borussia Monchengladbach at home, strolling to a 3-0 victory. The goals in that win were credited to Werner, Forsberg, and Gvardiol, the latter continuing his scoring run.
Man City v RB Leipzig predictions
Man City are locked at 1-1 on the aggregate scoreboard, but if they perform to the best of their abilities, it won’t stay that way for long. The locals have the skill, experience, and flair to go deep into this tournament, and it wouldn’t be a massive shock if they won the cup. Man City’s best should be enough to complete the job and progress to the next round.
Champions League odds
The pre-match betting odds available at 22Bet has Man City priced at 1.368, with the draw trading at 5.1. Fancy an away win and RB Leipzig eliminating their free-spending opponents for another year? Back the Germans at 8.
Make sure to bet on Man City v RB Leipzig with 22Bet!