Manchester City is the favorite tonight to get into the quarterfinals and eliminate Leipzig at the Etihad, a team that plays football very well in its stadium but loses several whole numbers away. The 1-1 of the first leg in Germany leaves the tie favorable to Pep Guardiola's men despite the fact that the tie allows the Germans to dream, who appear in Manchester without the Frenchman Nkunku, one of their greatest assets, injured with a muscle tear .
The other tie that is played this Tuesday is presented without a clear prognosis. Inter beat Porto 1-0 at the San Siro and now the Portuguese can perfectly turn the score around in favor of their fans at Do Dragao, the hottest stadium in Portugal.
For City, this season in which they are behind Arsenal in the Premier, the Champions League is more necessary than ever, until now an unattainable dream. However, City have not missed the Champions League since 2012, but their baggage is from a lost final and two semifinals. It still stings and they find it incomprehensible how they missed reaching the final last season, when Real Madrid, in the 89th minute, needed two goals to reach extra time.
At the press conference, Guardiola commented that he is aware that his time at City will be marked by whether or not he wins the Champions League (the Catalan coach won two Champions Leagues on the Barça bench): “I know that we will be judged by that competition. In my first Champions League game here they asked me if I had come to win the Champions League. If I coached Real Madrid, I would understand that pressure, but no matter how much we progress, that is something that will not change, ”he said.
The big difference between the City of last season and this one is marked by the Norwegian Erling Haaland, author of 28 goals in the Premier. Guardiola does not trust Leipzig and over the weekend he rested De Bruyne, Julián Álvarez and Mahrez.
In Do Dragao, Porto is excited about the good moment of its scorer, the Iranian Taremi, who already has four goals and two assists in the Champions League.
The two teams are far from first place in their leagues. Calcio seems decided in favor of Napoli and in Portugal Porto is second, eight points behind the leader, Benfica. Inter are not assured of their presence in the top four.
Porto has Otavio out, sent off in the first leg. The letharal. Joao Mario is doubtful. At Inter, the attacking duo of the Italians is guaranteed: Romelu Lukaku, who scored the goal in the first leg, and Lautaro Martínez. Inzhagi has also recovered Joaquín Tucu Correa. The emotion seems assured.
