Champions League last 16 Tuesday Preview

The Champions League is back and kicks-off with both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in last 16 action.

Premier League leaders City make the trip to Switzerland to face Basel for their first leg, and confidence is high with Pep Guardiola’s men firm favourites to land Europe’s top footballing prize.

“I don’t know if we’re ready [to win the UEFA Champions League],” he said.

“I have a lot of confidence in these guys, they know that. Our goal is to do better than we did last season, which means going through to the quarter-finals.”

Tottenham have a somewhat harder looking task on their hands but coach Mauricio Pochettino insists that Spurs won’t be going defensive in Turin.

“We cannot change our principles,” said Pochettino. “We will have to be aggressive, brave, respect our opponents. When I started playing I dreamed to be involved in games like this but now I think step by step.

“We have to show the desire to go to the next stage, play well, score goals, something which is so tough to do here. We must be competitive and keep going the way we are playing.”

See below for a run-down on the games, including predictions from our own Football Insider Graeme Bailey together with everything you need to know from the bookies – with BoyleSports’s Leon Blanche.

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First leg
Basel 19:45 Manchester City

St Jakob Park

TEAM NEWS: Leroy SaneBenjamin MendyGabriel Jesus and Fabian Delph all miss out for Man City, whilst David Silva is a major doubt. Germano Vailati misses out for the home side, and they also have doubts over Luca Zuffi and Eder Balanta
KEY FACT: Basel have won four of their last five home games against English clubs in the Champions League 
MATCH ODDS: Basel 10/1 Draw 4/1 Man City 1/3
GRAEME SAYS: Only going one way, the Champions League favourites will win this…0-4
BOYLESPORTS PICK: Man City win and Both Teams to Score @21/10 
FOOTBALLIndex – One to follow: Kevin De Bruyne outside the top-ten – you still need to get on him

First leg
Juventus 19:45 Tottenham Hotspur

Juventus Stadium

TEAM NEWS: Juan CuadradoAndrea BarzagliBlaise MatuidiStephan Lichtsteiner and Paulo Dybala are all set to miss out for Juve, whilst Tottenham are without Toby Alderweireld, Juan Foyth and Kyle Walker-Peters.
KEY FACT: Spurs are one of four teams still unbeaten in this season’s Champions League
MATCH ODDS: Juventus 5/4 Draw 21/10 Spurs 13/5
GRAEME SAYS: I can see Spurs getting something from this, so draw for me in the first leg…1-1
BOYLESPORTS PICK: Draw @21/10 
FOOTBALLIndex – One to follow: Miralem Pjanic at under £2 is a great buy

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