Manchester City v FC Basel Betting Preview – UEFA Champions League 7th March 7.45pm
At 4-0 up already from the first leg, Manchester City are cruising their way to the UEFA Champions League quarter finals. There is no real need for them to throw too much at this, so it could be a quiet night of simple progress for them back at the Etihad. The challenge of the Swiss side is pretty much already done and dusted.
Manchester City News and Form
So this should be a stroll in the park for the Citizens. It was at this stage last season that they went out of the tournament, but that’s not going to happen this time around. City have lost three of their four previous visits to the round of sixteen but will progress this time, unless there is a bewildering comeback from Basel, to the quarter finals. City had to exert some patience to beat a negative Chelsea side 1-0 at the Etihad in the Premier League on Sunday but that retained their superb home form.
City are unbeaten in their last thirteen home games in the UEFA Champions League, winning ten of them, so they are in form in Europe too. They won all three of their group stage matches this season, two with a clean sheet and have won seven of their last eight European home games, and each of their last four. Manchester City to win to nil at William Hill is at 4/6 odds* (Betting Odds taken at 00:02 p.m. on March 5th, 2018). Manchester City have never failed to progress in a UEFA two-legged tie having won the first leg away from home.
FC Basel News and Form
Hard to see where Basel are going to find a response from. They have had a success against a Manchester club this season in the competition, as they beat Manchester United 1-0 at home in the group stage. However, their away record in England is pretty poor at W1 D5 L8. This is third time that they have been to the round of sixteen in the UEFA Champions League and they lost both of those previous ties (against Bayern Munich and FC Porto) because of heavy away defeats. They did muster up their highest ever points tally in a Champions League group stage this season, but their match day two success over Benfica snapped a six-match winless streak of European form that they were on. Their win at CSKA Moscow on match day three snapped a six-match winless run of away form they were on too (D1 L5). Basel have lost their last two visits to England after going unbeaten in their five previous visits there and in the William Hill correct score market a Manchester City victory by either 2-0 or 3-0 are both at 11/2 odds* (Betting Odds taken at 00:02 p.m. on March 5th, 2018). Basel have been in five previous two-legged ties with English sides before and have a W1 L4 record from those. Basel have lost all 11 of the UEFA competition ties in which they were defeated in the home first leg.
Manchester City v FC Basel Head to Head
This is Manchester City’s first ever tie against a Swiss side.
Manchester City v FC Basel Betting Odds*
Man City 1/9, Draw 15/2, Basel 22/1* (Betting Odds taken at 00:02 p.m. on March 5th, 2018)
Manchester City v FC Basel Predictions
Even though Manchester City have no need to be at full strength, they are still good enough to roll out a comfortable home win in this one. It will most likely be a quiet and subdued game for the most part, so back the home side to win to nil.
