Manchester City Look To Take Down Barcelona

Manchester City will be looking to build upon their strong recent Premier League form when they meet Spanish titans Barcelona in the Champions League tonight (19:45). The hosts are currently in second place in their domestic division and have scored nine goals in their last two matches. They qualified for the knock-out stage of this competition after stringing together back-to-back Group E wins following a slow start.

Similarly, Barcelona are also going well in La Liga, their defeat at home to Malaga at the weekend being their first loss in the league since February 1st. They currently sit four points behind Real Madrid in second place. What`s more, Luis Enrique`s men have won all of their last five away matches after scoring at least three goals per game. They progressed through to this stage of the Champions League after winning all but one of their group games, this being a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

As a result of Barcelona`s top quality performances in Europe and their strong record away from the Nou Camp, it is they who are the favourites for tonight`s clash. Most bookmakers are offering a price of 11/10 on a win for the Spanish side at the Etihad Stadium whilst a home win can be picked up at 14/5 with Spreadex and william hill. A draw is available at odds of 11/4 at Skybet.

City finished in second place in Group E with eight points. Pep Guardiola`s Bayern Munich topped the table with 15 whilst both CSKA Moscow and Roma failed to qualify for this stage after only accumulating a total of five points.

The Manchester side scored eight goals in these six group games and conceded eight times. With only one clean sheet being kept in a 2-0 win away at Roma in their decisive final match of the group stages, the Sky Blues are 17/4 with Coral to keep a clean sheet tonight or can be backed at 13/2 (bet365, betfred, Betvictor, Totesport) to win to nil.

With five goals in this initial round of clashes, Sergio Aguero is the club`s Champions League top scorer. The 26-year-old Argentinean scored a hat-trick in their 3-2 home win against Bayern Munich before grabbing the opener in the 2-2 draw away at CSKA and another deadlock breaker by converting a penalty in their 1-1 draw with Roma at home.

Ladbrokes have the best price on Aguero hitting the back of the net first for a fourth time in this competition - his first goal against Bayern was the opening goal of that game. This price is 13/2. Alternatively, if you fancy him to bag another hat-trick, you can get odds of 70/1 at william hill.

Three penalties have been awarded in three Champions League matches featuring Manchester City, William Hill`s 7/4 says that another will be awarded in the game tonight.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is Barcelona`s top Champions League goalscorer having contributed eight of the 15 goals they have netted in the competition so far. Six of these goals came away from home and included a hat-trick, a brace and a solitary goal away at PSG. Another Messi goal at any time is available at 11/10 (Betvictor, paddy Power), another brace is being offered at 13/2 (paddy Power) whilst another Messi hat-trick can be picked up at odds of 30/1 (william hill).

Two of the three clean sheets the Spanish superpower picked up in this tournament came in wins to nil away from home. Barcelona are 3/1 (Spreadex) to see off Manuel Pellegrini`s men by a goal(s) to nil. Barca progressed through to this stage of the competition by finishing first in a group that also contained PSG, Ajax and APOEL.

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24/02/2015     © Frixo 2024