Raheem Sterling, Joao Palhinha, Man City v Sporting betting tips
Home  »    »    »   Man City v Sporting betting tips: City down to bare bones but should advance

Man City v Sporting betting tips: City down to bare bones but should advance

| 08.03.2022

Man City v Sporting betting tips and odds

Manchester City are the 9/4 favourites in the Champions League winner odds having won 5-0 in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie in Portugal.

City also trounced rivals United on Sunday afternoon to strengthen their place at the top of the Premier League and are just 1/7 to win the second leg.

Pep Guardiola can afford to rest some of his players with a place in the quarter-finals virtually assured but let’s look at some of the talking points and odds in our Man City v Sporting betting tips.

Man City v Sporting form

Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez both scored twice as City ran out 4-1 winners against the Red Devils at the weekend to complete the double for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Guardiola suggested that his side’s second-half performance was the best since he joined the club six years ago having restricted the visitors to just 16 passes in the final 10 minutes, one of which came from kick-off following the fourth goal.

City have now won 16 of their last 18 Premier League games, but are still only six points clear of nearest rivals Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.

Last year’s Champions League finalists qualified for the knockout stage with four wins and two defeats, although they had already advanced as group winners by the time they lost to RB Leipzig in their final match.

They failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their group games, but have 16 from 28 matches in the Premier League, so we go 7/10 on the hosts winning to nil against the Portuguese once more.

City have also scored inside 15 minutes 10 times in the Premier League this season just as they did on Sunday and in Portugal so are 12/5 to repeat the trick, while they can also be backed at 11/10 to win both halves.

The hosts are also 11/10 to win by at least three goals as they did in half of their group games and at Sporting or it’s 13/5 on a victory by at least four.

Only one of Sporting’s group games produced fewer than four goals and they were ripped apart by City after which head coach Ruben Amorim described their opponents as “probably the best team in the world”.

City scored five goals from six shots on target three weeks ago and are 6/5 to win and over 3.5 goals against the Portuguese champions, so it was a clinical display by the visitors.

Former Leicester striker Islam Slimani scored twice in a 2-0 win against Arouca at the weekend to keep the pressure on leaders Porto, who lead the table by six points.

With this tie in the bag, it remains to be seen whether either coach names a full-strength team, so it may be worth looking at the hosts to win and under 3.5 goals at 11/10 as one of our Man City v Sporting betting tips.

John Stones, Manchester City, football accumulator tips

In our #GetAPrice specials, the home team are evens to win either half, score at least twice and keep clean a clean sheet, the best of our Man City v Sporting betting tips.

However, they are 11/5 to win both halves, score at least three times and a clean sheet, while 2-0 and 3-0 victories are both 5/1.

Man City v Sporting head to head

Mahrez, Bernardo Silva (2) and Phil Foden gave City a 4-0 half-time lead in the first leg, before Sterling wrapped up the scoring approaching the hour mark in a one-sided match.

This will be only the fourth encounter between these clubs, their previous meeting coming in the round of 16 in the Europa League 10 years ago when City threatened a stunning comeback only to fall just short.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, City conceded two first-half goals at the Etihad only to score three times after the break.

Sergio Aguero made it 3-2 with his second goal eight minutes from time, but the hosts went out on the now defunct away-goals rule.

Key Battles

Sporting failed to get a shot on target in the first leg and had just three shots overall, so even testing Ederson would be seen as an improvement.

The Portuguese lined up in a 3-4-2-1 in the first leg but found it difficult to live with City’s fluid 4-3-3 formation.

The likes of Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Fernandinho did not get off the bench against United and are likely starters on Wednesday along with Ilkay Gundogan, who came on for the last 10 minutes.

Man City v Sporting team news

Guardiola says he has just 14 players available and has defensive problems with Ruben Dias out for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury, Nathan Ake sidelined and Joao Cancelo (illness) added to the list of absentees.

Right-back Kyle Walker remains suspended, so John Stones may be retained in defence, while De Bruyne is also a card away from a ban so could be rested.

 

For Sporting, midfielder Matheus Nunes is suspended and there are doubts over Joao Palhinha, who has not played since the first leg, and Pedro Gonçalves, out for the last three games.

Dario Essuo, 16, made his full league debut at the weekend and could get a chance in midfield.

Goalscorer Odds

Sterling was on target in Portugal and is evens to find the net again or 10/3 to break the deadlock in our Man City v Sporting betting tips, while Jesus is 9/2 and 6/4 in the two markets.

Gundogan missed a fairly simple chance on Sunday, but is 5/1 to make amends by scoring the opening goal or 17/10 as an anytime option.

Mahrez is the 3/1 favourite to bag the opener as he did at the Jose Alvalade Stadium again or 5/6 just to score, although he may not start the game.

Slimani, Pablo Sarabia and Paulinho are all 14/1 to get the game’s first goal from the Sporting contingent and all three players are 9/2 to find the net.

Match Info

Where: Etihad Stadium

When: 20:00, Wednesday 9th March

How to watch: BT Sport

Latest Champions League odds

All odds and markets correct as of date of publication

«
»

Author

Warren Barner