Tottenham look to protect first leg lead at Etihad

Tottenham head to the Etihad with a slender first leg lead to protect after last Tuesday’s 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The game was decided by a second-half Heung-Min Son goal, as the South Korean once again proved his worth as Spurs’ main man in Harry Kane’s absence.

Both teams have had victories since last week’s quarter-final, Tottenham easily brushing away bottom club Huddersfield 4-0 with Pep Guardiola’s City overcoming Crystal Palace 3-1.

Raheem Sterling remains the main threat for Manchester City despite remaining quiet during the first meeting between the sides, the Englishman scored twice in the win at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team will be hoping to make history as the first ever Spurs squad to reach a Champions League semi-final, previously only reaching the quarter-finals on two occasions (2010/11 & 2018/19). The Lilywhites’ trips to the Etihad haven’t proved overly successful in recent years however, winning only once in their last eight visits.

City do have the task of overturning a deficit in the tie with teams having a 31% success rate of emerging victorious after a 1-0 first leg defeat away from home (10/32).

Manchester City are now on a five match losing run against English opposition in European competition and can’t afford to make it six on the bounce. Guardiola is waiting to taste Champions League success again after a barren spell at Bayern Munich and will be desperate for the Citizens to continue their push for the quadruple.

The two Premier League giants started eight English players between them in the first-leg, the most since the all-English Champions League final in 2008 between Manchester United and Chelsea (ten).

Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs will seek an away goal in Manchester to ease their progression as Son and hat-trick hero from this weekend Lucas Moura look to break at every opportunity. This has all the ingredients for a classic Champions League encounter as both English teams vie for their semi-final berth.

Team News:

Manchester City

Out: Claudio Bravo (Achilles)

Doubtful: Fernandinho (unknown), Oleksandr Zinchenko (hamstring)

Misses next match if booked: Sergio Agüero, Nicolas Otamendi

Tottenham

Out: Serge Aurier (hamstring), Eric Dier (groin), Harry Kane (ankle), Erik Lamela (hamstring)

Doubtful: Dele Alli (hand), Harry Winks (groin)

Misses next match if booked: Toby Alderweireld, Erik Lamela, Heung-Min Son