Prediction: Liverpool vs Manchester City



Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: William Hill

With both sides craving Champions League success, the quarter-final clash between Liverpool and Manchester City should deliver premium excitement. Seeing also that both sides have been bagging goals for fun of late, we wouldn’t be surprised to see goals galore when the Premier League rivals square off at Anfield.

Liverpool

Even though at one point in the season it looked as though frequent defensive mistakes would turn the current campaign into a major disappointment, the Reds did well to return to the right track and they have been quite impressive for several months now. The back line looks much better now, but even when they commit occasional error, team’s ruthless attack usually comes to the rescue, with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane all enjoying productive seasons.

Having all but secured a place in the Premier League top 4, Liverpool can now shift their focus towards the Champions League campaign and attempt to stop red-hot Manchester City in their tracks. The Reds were beaten by arch rivals Manchester United shortly after qualifying for the UCL last eight, but they did well to win back the lost confidence thanks to back to back wins over Watford and Crystal Palace, meaning they head into the highly-anticipated clash in good spirits.

Team News

Adam Lallana, Joe Gomez and Dominick Solanke are definitely out, while key midfielder Emre Can is doubtful with a back problem.



Manchester City

Manchester City have been absolutely relentless this season, virtually securing the Premier League trophy with seven games to spare, while they also have a chance to mount a serious title challenge in the UEFA Champions League. The Citizens have been pretty disappointing in Europe’s elite competition of late, albeit reaching the semi-finals two years ago when they lost to eventual champions Real Madrid 1-0 on aggregate.

Manchester City eased off to the first place in the group stage this term, finishing ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk, Napoli and Feyenoord, before hammering FC Basel 4-0 in the first leg of their knockout stage clash on the road. This is why nobody was too concerned by the 2-1 defeat in the return leg, although the Citizens will have to be at their best if they want to pip in-form Liverpool to a place in the Champions League semi-finals.

Team News

Sergio Aguero could return to the side after recovering from a knee injury, while Aymeric Laporte has shaken off a minor knock and John Stones is likely to miss out.

Key Factors to Consider

• Their last two meetings produced 12 goals
• Liverpool won last three home games vs Man City
• The Reds are unbeaten in this year’s Champions League (W6 D4)
• Liverpool kept a clean sheet in last three home fixtures in UCL
• Man City won last three on the road, scoring 4 goals in each of those

Conclusion

Taking into account the form the two sides are in at the moment as well as their high-scoring recent meetings, we definitely expect to see an entertaining encounter at Anfield. Chances are both sets of defenders will face problems trying to stop opposition forwards and we feel both teams to score is a good bet here.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: William Hill