Liverpool v Manchester City Betting Preview – UEFA Champions League 4th April 7.45pm
Liverpool collected a home win over the Citizens in the Premier League and will be looking to double up with a first leg success against them in the UEFA Champions League. This is the first-ever game in UEFA competition between the two of them. Liverpool will know that their best chance of progress is building up a lead in this first leg. But will that leave themselves exposed to the threats of the visitors?
Liverpool News and Form
So this is going to get interesting then. This is Liverpool’s first Champions League quarter-final appearance in nine years. Overall this is the 17th time that two English sides have gone up against each other in UEFA Competitions and this is the tenth such occasion for Liverpool. Liverpool got past Porto in the last round with a 5-0 aggregate win, playing out a 0-0 draw at home in the second leg with the damage done. Liverpool are W3 D2 from their five Champions League home games this season, having tallied sixteen goals in the process. Over 2.5 goals at bet36 5 is probably going to get a lot of backing in this one and that is at 7/10 odds* (Betting Odds taken at 11:53 p.m. on March 30th, 2018). There is a lot more at stake in this one than when Liverpool beat the runaway Premier League leaders Man City at Anfield back in January.
It likely to be a lot tenser, is this. Liverpool have won nine of their previous 13 European Cup quarter-finals and of their eight previous two-legged ties against English opposition, Liverpool are W5 L3. Overall Liverpool’s record against English clubs in Europe is W5 D8 L5 with all five of those wins coming at home (D3 L1) so that suggests that they are going to have to build an advantage here. In the bet365 correct score market, the shortest-priced option is a 1-1 draw at 11/2 with a 2-1 victory for Man City following at 17/2* (all Betting Odds taken at 11:53 p.m. on March 30th, 2018). The Reds are unbeaten in their last fourteen European home games (W9 D5).
Manchester City News and Form
This is now the second appearance in the European Cup quarter-finals for Man City. They lost 3-2 on aggregate to PSG in the 2015/16 campaign in their previous visit. Just once before they have played an English club in Europe and they lost 2-0 on aggregate to Chelsea in the 1970/71 European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final. City opened with five straight wins in this season’s Champions League, before losing at Shakhtar Donetsk on match day six with their group already won. They have scored exactly four goals in their other three away games in the competition this season though which is much better than last year as they didn’t win a single game on the road during their failed campaign. Sergio Aguero is the 4/1 first goalscorer favourite at bet365 after his prolific 2018. City have the goals in them, will they be able to stand up to Liverpool better defensively this time around?
Liverpool v Manchester City Head to Head
Liverpool are really the ones with the head to head form between these two sides. They have won their last five Anfield clashes against the Citizens and the last two have been by a one-goal margin in Premier League fixtures. The Reds are undefeated in their last sixteen home fixtures against Man City in all competitions. The Reds have actually five of the last eight overall home and away against Man City in all competitions. Both teams have scored in just two of the last five clashes.
Liverpool v Manchester City Betting Odds*
Man City 11/8, Liverpool 19/10, Draw 12/5* (Betting Odds taken at 11:54 p.m. on March 30th, 2018)
Liverpool v Manchester City Predictions
Even though they lost at Anfield in the league, Manchester City will be all the wiser in their preparations. It’s hard to see Liverpool keeping them off the scoresheet and the Citizens just have that extra edge of quality about them overall. But settle on a draw, a score draw giving City an advantage.
