Tottenham host Manchester City on Tuesday night in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash.
It will be just the second game Spurs have played at their new ground, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In the first, the home side dismissed Crystal Palace 2-0 to secure their first domestic victory since early February, that result seeing them regain third position in the league table.
Manchester City booked their place in the FA Cup final thanks to a slender 1-0 triumph over Brighton on Saturday. They annihilated Schalke 10-2 on aggregate in the last round of European fixtures, whilst Spurs dumped fellow Germans Borussia Dortmund out after winning both legs of their tie.
Check out 90min's preview of the encounter below.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick Off?
|
Tuesday 9 April |
| What Time Is Kick Off?
|
20:00 (BST) |
| Where Is it Played?
|
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium |
| TV Channel/Live Stream
|
BT Sport 2 |
| Referee?
|
Björn Kuipers |
Team News
Mauricio Pochettino will be without winger Erik Lamela and defender Serge Aurier, both of whom are carrying hamstring injuries. A strained hip flexor also deprives the Argentine of Eric Dier's services for the clash with City.
Target-man Fernando Llorente is a slight doubt after suffering a concussion last week and will face a late fitness test to determine his eligibility. Tottenham have no suspensions that need to be served for the match.
Like their opponents, none of the Citizens' personnel are suspended for the midweek encounter. They do, however, have a miniature crisis in the full-back position, with Kyle Walker hobbling off against Brighton on the weekend.
That compounds the absence of left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, who strained his hamstring against Cardiff City earlier in the week. Fortunately for Pep Guardiola, Benjamin Mendy made his long-awaited return from the sidelines to play 79 minutes at Wembley.
Utility player Fabian Delph and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo are likewise unavailable as they recover from a knock and knee ligament damage respectively. City's talisman Sergio Aguero is expected to make the squad after a muscular problem kept him out of their last two fixtures.
Predicted Lineups
| Tottenham
|
Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Sissoko, Wanyama, Eriksen; Son, Kane. |
| Manchester City
|
Ederson; Danilo, Stones, Laporte, Mendy; Fernandinho, D. Silva, de Bruyne; B. Silva, Aguero, Sterling. |
Head to Head Record
The visitors defeated Tottenham in their last meeting in October, edging out the north London side courtesy of an early score from record-signing Riyad Mahrez. The Algerian arrowed home a low finish in the sixth minute after connecting with Raheem Sterling's pullback, setting his team on course for a narrow 1-0 victory.
That result stretched City's unbeaten run against Tuesday's opponents to four, their last loss coming in late 2016. Since then they have triumphed on three occasions, drawing just once.
Despite enjoying recent match-ups, the Sky Blues have had mixed fortunes over the course of history in this fixture; they have won 61 times, whilst Spurs have taken the victory on 60 occasions. The overall record is evidently well-balanced, with a further 35 draws completing the list.
Recent Form
Guardiola's recruits have been immaculate in 2019, winning every single match bar a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United at the end of January. Their electric form has helped them remain in contention for a remarkable quadruple, the side having already secured the League Cup trophy back in February.
They have conceded just three goals in their last nine matches and returned to the top of the Premier League table with the 2-0 victory over Cardiff on Wednesday. City's continued involvement in the FA Cup allowed Liverpool to leapfrog them with a win at Southampton this weekend, though the champions have a game in hand.
Things have been decidedly different for the Lilywhites, who had not won in five games in domestic competition before the clash with Palace. They suffered away defeats to Burnley, Chelsea, the Reds and the Saints prior to that match, whilst also drawing the north London derby with Arsenal.
Nevertheless, they were hugely impressive in Champions League action, comfortably beating Dortmund 4-0 on aggregate. The second leg of the tie showcased their resilience, intelligence and tenacity, Pochetinno's side frustrating their hosts before hitting them on the counter.
Here's how the pair got on in their last five games:
| Tottenham
|
Manchester City |
| Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace (03/4) |
Manchester City 1-0 Brighton (06/4) |
| Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham (31/3) |
Manchester City 2-0 Cardiff City (03/4) |
| Southampton 2-1 Tottenham (09/3) |
Fulham 0-2 Manchester City (30/3) |
| Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Tottenham (05/3) |
Swansea City 2-3 Manchester City (16/3) |
| Tottenham 1-1 Arsenal (02/3) |
Manchester City 7-0 Schalke (12/3) |
Prediction
The fixture list is getting heavily congested for City as they continue to fight on all fronts. There have been signs in their performances that the relentless conveyor belt of matches is taking its toll, the team appearing somewhat tired and lax at times.
However, they have invariably secured positive results, suggesting that they have the mindset and ability to overcome opponents even when not at their fluid best.
The opposite is true for Spurs, who have endured a testing spell in the last couple of months. It is yet to be determined whether the new stadium will be a hindrance or a helper in terms of their confidence, though early signs suggest the latter; the positivity of returning home could well be a leveller on Tuesday.
Prediction: Tottenham 1-1 Manchester City
Source :
90min
