Paul Higham thinks there will be a cagey first leg at Tottenham's brand new stadium, while Liverpool should be comfortable against Porto.
Tottenham v Man City (2000 BST - BT Sport 2)
We’ve entered the sharp end of the Champions League now and after a mini-break the game will come thick and fast from here on in, starting with the huge all-Premier League showdown at Tottenham.
Everyone bar Manchester City must be pleased that Spurs have their incredible new stadium ready to host such a huge contest, as it’ll just add even more to an already fantastic occasion.
It’s the start of a trilogy of games against Spurs that’ll go a long way to deciding Man City’s season with this Champions League tie being followed quickly by a Premier League contest at the Etihad.
City have won the last three against Tottenham but they’ll no doubt remember getting blown away at Anfield at this stage last season and Spurs are well capable of doing something similar – they did it to Dortmund in the last round at Wembley.
Spurs will be bang up for it and should have the edge in terms of passion and aggression, but City’s resilience in recent games has shone through and Pep Guardiola will be hoping for a mature, pragmatic display in the first leg.
It’s easy to be drawn into a shootout against this Spurs side, but City have already proved in big away games that they can keep things tight, and that may just be the way this one goes.
Prediction: Tottenham 1-1 Man City (Sky Bet odds: 6/1)
Best Bet: Tottenham to draw with Man City at 29/10
There should be plenty of thrust and passion from the hosts, but this is a two-legged tie and both teams will be well aware of that. Guardiola especially has shown he’s not above erring slightly on the side of caution (for them) in the big games, and he’d fancy their chances of winning the game and the tie at the Etihad, especially if they come away with an away goal.
Liverpool v Porto (2000 BST – BT Sport 3)
A dream draw on paper for Liverpool as they pulled out the team they thumped 5-0 away last season to cruise through the first knockout stage.
For all the talk of Man City’s quadruple hunt, the Reds could still possibly win a tremendous double if they can go one better in this than last year and somehow manage to pip City to the league.
Jurgen Klopp has his side fully focused on the matter in hand though, and if anything they can almost approach this competition with a bit more freedom given they undoubtedly want to win the Premier League.
Porto won’t be the walkover many expect, they’ll certainly want to do better than last season and they’re a stronger side this time around under Sergio Conceicao.
They’re a big, powerful unit who’ll pose problems from Alex Telles’ delivery from set plays as long as he’s fit, so there are warning for Liverpool to not take this one for granted.
It should be another winning European night at Anfield though, although maybe not as emphatic as many may think.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Porto (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)
Best Bet: Liverpool to win to nil at 11/10
Liverpool have conceded goals in their last five games so Klopp will want a return to that stingy defence that set-up their season so well. They will know an away goal is crucial so will most likely revert to the pragmatic side that we've seen so much of this season, but in attack there's still enough to grab a couple of goals that will set them up nicely for the second leg.
Odds correct at 08/04/19
Follow Sporting Life on social media - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC
Related football links
Fast Results
Scores
