Manchester City v Monaco Betting Preview – UEFA Champions League 21st February 7.45pm
Interesting match up because Monaco have a good record against English sides in the knockout stages of European ties. They have also won in England this season already when they beat Tottenham at Wembley in the Group Stage. Manchester City are favourites for this tie but they are going to face a tough side who can punish them if they aren’t at their best. Manchester City are defending a nine match unbeaten run of form at home in the Champions League and they will be looking to build up a strong first leg lead against a tricky opponent, so that they have something to defend when they head out to the principality in a couple of weeks for the return fixture.
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Manchester City v Monaco Betting Tips
After getting through to the semi finals last season, Manchester City are looking to make a return to the quarter finals for just the second time in their Champions League history. They did get past a French side during the knockouts last term as they beat out PSG 3-2 in the quarter finals. Manchester City are unbeaten in their last nine UEFA Champions league home games at the moment (W6 D3) and this will be their first ever competitive match up against Monaco. Overall there’s not a great deal of experience for City against French opposition but they are unbeaten in their three previous ones with a W1 D2 record. All three of those previous games were against PSG. Monaco have proven themselves against English opponent before and it may not be all plain sailing for Pep Guardiola’s man and it is going to be highly important for them to take a first leg advantage.
Pep Guardiola has won all of seven of his previous round of 16 ties in the UEFA Champions League, so City have that on their side. In all competitions City are W4 D1 in their last five games after being held to a 0-0 draw with Huddersfield in the FA Cup on the weekend. Because Manchester City have collected only the one clean sheet in the Champions League so far this season you have have a crack at both teams to score at Bet365 for a quote of 7/10. Sergio Aguero is going to need to produce having scored in only one of his last six Champions league home games, but he is trading as 4/5 outright favourite in the anytime goalscorer market for the game. In the knockout stage of the competition, Man City have won only one of their five previous games at the Etihad in the Champions League (D2 D2) so that suggests it is going to be close as well. This may be something of a cagey affair in the first leg, but the lack of clean sheets between the two could send the game over 2.5 goals which is 4/6 at Bet365
Monaco hit the knockout stage after having won their group, while City were second behind Barcelona in theirs. Arsenal fell to Monaco in the round of sixteen two years ago, the French outfit winning on away goals. Not only that, Monaco have already been to England once this season and took a win there, as they beat Tottenham at Wembley in the group stage, which was a kind of smash and grab raid from them. Monaco’s away record against English sides is average at W4 D2 L2, but they have strong history as they have won all but one of their five previous two-legged ties against English opposition, including wins over Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea in the Champions League. Monaco have only lost one of their five previous Champions League away games in England, winning their last two there. Radamel Falcao is a 7/4 anytime goalscorer option and he has 13 goals in his last 14 appearances in all competitions.
Thomas Lemar scored in both games against Spurs in the group stage for Monaco, and he is a price of 5/1 to net in the game as well as decent value. Since match day six in the UEFA Champions League this season, Monaco have been in good form with wins in 11 of their last 15 games in all competitions since then. However, the French club have actually suffered five defeats in their last seven Champions League knockout games W1 D1, but then their only win in that sequence was in London against Arsenal. Monaco only kept one clean sheet during the group stage, just as Man City did and in the Bet365 correct score market the 1-1 draw is the shortest priced option at a price of 13/2 with Man City 2-0, 2-1 or a 1-0 all coming in at a 7/1 quote.
Manchester City v Monaco Betting Odds
Man City 8/13, Draw 7/2, Monaco 4/1
Manchester City v Monaco Predictions
This is likely going to be tight at the end of the day as you don’t see either of those putting up a big first leg lead in the contest. City have home advantage and could well just sneak the win by a one goal margin in this one but there may be a lot of patience needed in the game, because Monaco can make a nuisance of themselves as we saw from them against Tottenham in the group stage. City have make something count in this one because the second leg is going to be tricky.
