Manchester City vs Basel LIVE: Champions League round-of-16 second leg!
All the latest from the Champions League fixture at The Etihad
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Manchester City host Basel in the second leg of their last-16 tie, with Pep Guardiola hopeful that the 4-0 lead held by City from their impressive first leg display will be enough to see them through to the Champions League quarter-finals.
City, who could welcome the return of striker Gabriel Jesus after a lengthy lay-off with injury, are in scintillating form both domestically and in Europe, with their three first half goals in the first-leg in Switzerland attesting to their excellent attacking form.
Basel currently sit second in the Swiss Super League, though they were unable to translate their league form into Europe when they took on City, and with Guardiola able to call on a wide array of attacking and defensive recruits coupled with the league being all but confirmed for the Citizens, the Spaniard will be expected to name a full strength side for the Champions League clash on Wednesday.
With an 18 point lead at the top of the table, prior to United playing Crystal Palace on Monday night, City will be looking at the game against Basel as a routine demolition task, and with the possibility of a treble still on the cards for Guardiola’s side, success on Wednesday night is an important part of their 2017/18 quest for outright domestic and European domination.
Follow the action below with our live blog:
Match preview
It’s a big game for...
Sergio Aguero. Despite a four goal haul against Leicester, Aguero has not scored in three of his last four Premier League games. With the impending return to fitness of Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus, Wednesday night is a chance for Aguero to reassure Guardiola that he is the striker to be leading the line for the Citizens, and having passed 200 goals for the Sky Blues last week, Aguero will be hungry for goals against Basel.
Best stat...
Manchester City are the fifth highest scorers in the 2017/18 Champions League, with 18 goals. Of the five highest scoring teams, Liverpool, PSG, Madrid and Bayern, they have the highest number of different goal-scorers.
Remember when…
In the first ever clash between these two sides in the first leg, City tore apart Basel with a 4-0 victory. Relive the goals, moments and action from the game.
Player to watch…
Kevin De Bruyne. City’s Belgian wizard has been in outstanding form in 2017/18, and he has been showing his pedigree on the stage of Champions League football too. With seven goals and 16 assists in the league, De Bruyne has the ability to shine for Guardiola’s side, and with a habit of stepping up in the big games, Wednesday could yet mark another stunning performance from what has been undoubtedly City’s player of the season.
Past meetings…
- Basel 0 Manchester City 4 (Gundogan 2, B Silva 1, Aguero 1), Champions League, February 2018
Form guide…
- Manchester City: WWLWWW
- Basel: WLWLLL
Odds…
- Manchester City to win: 1/7
- Basel to win: 8/1
- Draw: 18/1
Good evening and welcome to Wembley for The Independent's live coverage of the Champions League Last 16 Second Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.
Here's a reminder of how it stands ahead of kick-off.
Tonight's tie is poised delicately at two apiece after a thrilling draw at the Allianz Stadium a month ago. Yet how Tottenham find themselves on level terms is still a mystery for many; the Premier League side fell two goals behind inside the opening nine minutes in Turin and looked beaten before a Harry Kane goal, a Gonzalo Higuain missed penalty and a Christian Eriksen free-kick brought them back from the brink.
Spurs will need more of that flair and fight this evening if they are to finish the job and make the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
We'll also have updates from the Etihad Stadium where Manchester City have the comfort of a four-goal cushion as they entertain Basel.
Europe's two form teams* meet at Wembley this evening...
...something has got to give.
*excluding Fulham.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has been speaking to BT Sport ahead of kick-off about the size of tonight's task...
I think we arrive with good momentum. We are in good form, but the reality is today is different.
Against a team like Juventus, you cannot start a game like we did in Turin.
Going forward and trying to win the game is our objective tonight.
With ten minutes to go until kick-off at Wembley, let's check in on the kids in Manchester...
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