Manchester City clash with Schalke with quarterfinal berth on the line
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Manchester City came from behind to defeat Schalke 3-2 in their Champions League last-16 first leg tie. The Cityzens have plenty of momentum as they head into their second leg fixture at the Etihad Stadium.
Meanwhile, Schalke are in terrible form and their loss to Manchester City has only compounded their problems this season. Schalke sit just four points above the relegation playoff place in the Bundesliga. They have not won since January 20th in the league. That is a span of seven matches without a win.
Manager Pep Guardiola will have centre-back Aymeric Laporte available for selection for the fixture. The centre-back returned to action over the weekend, but was kept out of the game to prevent reaggravating his recently healed injury. His return will be a big boost as Manchester City continue to fight on three fronts.
John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne, and Fernandinho all missed Manchester City’s match against Watford. De Bruyne has had a start-stop season due to injuries. His nearly non-stop play for the last year-plus has helped lead to injury issues. The Belgian playmaker could be held out against Schalke to preserve him for the rest of the season.
Schalke are in a terrible state currently. When the last-16 draws were handed out, many football insiders believed Manchester City had received the easiest draw of the round. Although the first leg ended 3-2, Schalke’s collapse was typical of results this term.
Schalke’s weekend 4-2 loss to Werder Bremen only increased the pressure on young manager Domenico Tedesco. Schalke have allowed 14 goals in their last four matches in all competitions. The team has been a nightmare in defence. On Friday night, they allowed four goals to Werder Bremen as the latter came from behind to win.
Although Manchester City have won their last three matches post-Champions league first leg against Schalke, they not looked themselves. The Cityzens had put on dreary displays until the last 45 minutes of their win over Watford on Saturday. Manchester City have won nine straight matches in all competitions. They are in fine form and scoring goals. Schalke should pose little threat at the Etihad on Tuesday night thanks to the differing form the two sides are in.
Guardiola’s team will be far too strong for their struggling German opponents at the Etihad. The Cityzens have better players in each position even with several stars unavailable through injury. Manchester City will win on Tuesday night and progress to the quarterfinals.
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