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Sporting vs. Man City: Champions League Preview

Manchester City’s place in the Champions League quarter-finals is all but guaranteed ahead of tonight’s last-16 second-leg showdown.

Previous Benfica striker Bernardo Silva scored a brace against his former club, while Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, and Raheem Sterling also scored in an unstoppable goal flurry at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, where City led 4-0 at the break.

City have continued to impress since then, despite a last-gasp defeat against Tottenham, maintaining their six-point Premier League lead over Liverpool with a derby thrashing of Manchester United and securing a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, raising hopes of a treble to match their rivals’ 1999 season.

Since that first-leg thrashing, Sporting has had a mixed bag of results, with victories over Estoril and Arouca, a draw against Maritimo, and a costly 2-1 loss to Primeira Liga title rivals FC Porto.

Date, Kick-off Time And Venue

The match between Manchester City and Sporting CP will take place tonight, March 9, 2022, at 8 p.m. GMT.

The match will take held at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium.

Where To Watch Man City vs Sporting

TV channel: Tonight’s game will be televised live on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport Ultimate, with coverage beginning at 7pm.

Live stream: BT Sport subscribers will also be able to watch the action unfold online via the BT Sport website or app.

LIVE coverage: You can also follow the match with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog.

Man City vs Sporting Team News

City have only 14 players available for the second leg, according to Pep Guardiola, with Kyle Walker still suspended in Europe – something his boss is upset about – and Joao Cancelo out due to sickness.

Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Cole Palmer, and Zack Steffen are among those who will miss out.

Guardiola is set to make numerous changes to his starting lineup, with a trip to Crystal Palace and an FA Cup last-eight match against Southampton on the horizon.

Luke Mbete, an 18-year-old defender, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, an 18-year-old midfielder, could both play, while Kevin De Bruyne is likely to be rested.

Joao Palhinha, Pedro Goncalves, and Matheus Nunes are all doubtful for Sporting, while Matheus Nunes is suspended.

Man City vs Sporting Prediction

Three weeks ago, City swept Sporting away in Lisbon with a spectacular show of firepower.

Guardiola’s free-scoring side’s confidence will have risen even higher following their derby thrashing of United, and it would take a massive upset to keep them out of the quarter-finals.

This is the trophy that City so dearly wants, and they’ll want to keep impressing as the competition progresses. Another comprehensive triumph is on the horizon.

Man City to win, 3-0.