BARCELONA, 14 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Manchester City visits Sporting CP at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon on Tuesday in a first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League open and full of unknowns despite the fact that the ‘citizen’, current runners-up in the competition, start as favorites to start an idyll with ‘Orejona’.
The relationship between Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and the ‘Champions’ was not at all idyllic last year, losing in the final against Chelsea. But the ‘sky blue’ want to return to their first historical conquest and they must start with a Lisbon where Sporting is waiting and knows what it is to beat them in Europe.
In the first and last due to being the only direct match between the two clubs, in the round of 16 of the Europa League in the 2011/12 season, the Lisbon team beat Manchester after a 3-3 aggregate and thanks to the two goals recorded in the return in English fiefdom.
It has rained a lot since then, too much to take references. But at Sporting CP they know that they can beat City and, also, Guardiola’s men will know that they shouldn’t go out relaxed. In fact, the Lisbon side beat Besiktas and Dortmund in Group C, passing second behind Ajax.
Since 2009, Sporting CP has not been in the round of 16 of the ‘Champions’. The appointment is historic in the Portuguese capital and in a team that is recovering airs of greatness, although it is so far from its rival in terms of current weight in continental football. Then, thirteen years ago, they were dropped by Bayern Munich. Now, another ‘coconut’ is presented to them as a new and demanding challenge.
Manchester City, unlike their rivals, have made it through the round of 16 tie in their last four attempts. It is the ninth time in a row that they have made it out of the group stage. More accustomed, then, to these in this situation, the ‘citizen’ team will try to take advantage of it and have the return home.
Winners of Group A, above PSG although with two defeats –against the Parisians and against the German Leipzig–, Guardiola’s men face the duel optimistic and after beating Norwich (0-4) in a Premier League that they already dominate at pleasure Without Walker, sanctioned, and with the casualties of Gabriel Jesus and Jack Grealish, City arrives ready to collect revenge for that previous appointment.
The Edersons, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Foden, Sterling or a Bernardo Silva who visits his city to remember the derbies of the past (trained at Benfica), will be faced by a Sporting CP without casualties and who may arrive tired after the ‘battle ‘ against Porto (2-2 at the Estadio do Dragao) on the last day of the league. A game that started 0-2 up and ended with three expelled, for two of his rival.