PREVIEW & PREDICTION – Basel vs Manchester City 13/02/2018

PREVIEW & PREDICTION – Basel vs Manchester City 13/02/2018

In the first leg of a knockout duel, over-goal betting is rare. Teams tend to behave in a modest manner and without too much risk, in order to retain the chance of progressing in the second leg. At FC Basel, we would also sign this strategy, but not with our opponents. Manchester City has no mercy at all this season and will be in full swing in every match from the first minute. Coach Pep Guardiola did not even think about saving his players in the run-up to the round of 16 in the premier class last weekend. Instead, Leicester City was shot 5-1 out of Etihad Stadium – scorer Sergio Agüero scoring a foursome. For FC Basel, this does not bode well, because even if the Swiss will act rather restrained, should open an open exchange. City will decide what the game will look like and therefore we expect some hits despite a first leg. If Basel wants to have a minimum chance at all, the hosts themselves have to find the way forward, because with defensive tactics, so far all opponents have failed this season at the Citizens.

The dominance that Manchester City is currently broadcasting in the Premier League has been awarded to FC Basel in recent years in Switzerland. This season, however, the FCB must fear for the title defense in the Super League, because the Young Boys Bern afford proper defense. Five points is the gap to the leaders from the capital and with misfires as in the 0-1 in the last home game against Lugano makes life itself Basel difficult again and again. After all, it’s going well internationally, because the move into the round of 16 of the Champions League is a great success for the club. A few years ago, this feat already achieved twice, but then Basel failed in the round of the last 16 at Bayern Munich and Porto.

The first leg was then still won 1-0 against Bayern. Again, the home side hope that they can keep up with the favorites of the island, at least in their own stadium. But for the team of coach Raphael Wicky everything has to work and every player has to go to his performance limit. After the defeat against Lugano could be celebrated at last weekend, a 2-0 win at FC Thun. Thus, the reigning champion fueled a little self-confidence. In addition to the recent home defeat, in which a penalty was scored by the hosts, Basel has always hit home in this season. A goal against Manchester would already be a partial success on Tuesday evening.

Manchester City is the measure of all things in England this season. The championship title in the Premier League seems to be the team of Pep Guardiola to be taken. As in his tenure at FC Bayern Munich, the perfectionist from Catalonia is characterized by the fact that he drives his players in every game to peak performance and thus leaves hardly any unnecessary points. Overall, only two defeats had to accept the Skyblues throughout the season.

The meaningless group match on the last matchday in the Champions League at Shakhtar Donetsk has almost been ruled out, only at Liverpool FC City conceded with 3: 4 the only real bankruptcy. Since then, the Guardiola-Elf celebrated five wins in six games, scoring 17 goals. Above all, the furious offensive in the leaders of the Premier League is almost unstoppable. Goalkeeper Sergio Aguero scored again four goals this weekend and together with Kevin de Bruyne, he is the great superstar of the team. With Leroy Sane a regular player falls on Tuesday, but really lowering this is the quality of the guests not.


PREDICTION: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.57

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