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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Your support makes all the difference.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
The teams are in the tunnel. Cue the music!
And who doesn't love that music?
The Champions League anthem comes to a conclusion and an extraordinary roar goes up around Wembley.
The message from the home fans is clear: Tottenham can do this.
The two captains - the two goalkeepers - exchange pennants and pleasantries in the centre circle before the sides come together for a minute's silence in memory of the Italian defender Davide Astori, who tragically died this week at the age of just 31.
KICK-OFF: We're underway at Wembley, and Tottenham find themselves on the front foot immediately. A lofted ball into the box as Dele Alli sniffing blood. The Tottenham youngster manages to stay on his feet, but still wants a penalty after the ball drops on to the arm of a Juventus defender.Polish referee Szymon Marciniak correctly waves away the appeals.
4 mins: It's been a promising start from Spurs, and Heung-Min Son forces Gianluigi Buffon into an early save. Excellent work from Harry Kane sees the forward outmuscle his marker and find the South Korean forward on the left. In great goalscoring form, Son burst into the box but his left-footed shot was pushed away by the veteran Italian stopper.
7 mins: Juventus have got their bearings together after that frantic start, and Gonzalo Higuain is only inches away from getting his head on the end of Douglas Costa's dangerous right-wing cross. It's slack from the Argentine, I'm pretty sure he was on a hat-trick by this point of the first leg.
8 mins: GOAL! MAN CITY 1 BASEL 0 (Agg 5-0)
He's back in the team and now Gabriel Jesus is back in the goals. The young Brazilian is starting his first game of 2018 after injury and has bagged Manchester City's first of the night and fifth of the tie.
12 mins: Back at Wembley, and Tottenham are again appealing for a spotkick. Harry Kane attempted to drift past a sliding Giorgio Chiellini and the Italian defender pushed the ball away with his forearm. There was certainly contact but it was far from intentional.
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