Champions League quarter-finals second-legs – Tuesday

The first of this season’s Champions League semi-finalists will be decided on Tuesday with Liverpool and tournament favourites Barcelona in good shape ahead of their second legs.

Liverpool travel to Manchester City with an impressive 3-0 lead – which has seen Pep Guardiola’s side lose their favourite tags.

But Klopp insists that his side are not favourites for the tie, pointing to the fact they lost at the Etihad 5-0 earlier in the season.

“I am not interested (in the favourites tag). We are only in the lead. It is better than I expected but you all know there is still a lot of work to do,” he said.

“We are not thinking about who is favourite. We lost here 5-0 in the beginning of the season.

“The quality of City was clear. We all know about Pep, best coach in the world. It was clear they would be outstanding but there is no perfect football team in the world.”

Guardiola admits that nothing but a ‘perfect’ game will suffice for his team to get through.

“The only way to play good football is to be positive,” he said.

“To go through you have to make the perfect game, create chances and concede few chances. The chances we receive, we have to defend well.

“We have 90 minutes and anything can happen. All we are going to do is try. We have 90 minutes plus extra time and what we have shown this year – even in the last game – is we can create a lot of chances in the last few minutes.”

The other game sees Barcelona travel to Rome with just as impressive first-leg lead after a 4-1 win in Catalunya.

But Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde insists that they have to worry about Roma – sighting their previous win over Chelsea, when they put three past the English giants.

“We must keep in mind that they put three goals past Chelsea both at home and at Stamford Bridge,” said Valverde.

“I liked the performance against Roma because it was truly very difficult. We created opportunities, but also had two or three distractions that we usually don’t see.

“We’re in the quarter-finals, it’s only natural the opponents will be of a level where they can cause us problems.”

Roma chief Eusebio Di Francesco believes they will indeed need a ‘miracle’ to make it through to the last four.

“We have the chance to do something unthinkable, considering that they practically haven’t lost — a miracle if you will,” Di Francesco said.

See below for a run-down on the games, including predictions from former England, Crystal Palace and Tottenham midfielder Andy Gray, our own Football Insider Graeme Bailey and Lawrene Lyons of BoyleSports.

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Second leg
Manchester City 19:45 Liverpool (agg 0-3)

The Etihad

TEAM NEWS: City are hopeful that both John Stones and Danilo will be available, whilst Sergio Aguero is likely to start. Liverpool are sweating over the fitness of leading forward Mo Salah, and defenders Andrew Robertson and Alberto Moreno, but captain Jordan Henderson is suspended.
KEY FACT: Liverpool have scored more goals than any other side in this season’s Champions League
MATCH ODDS: Man City 4/9 Draw 4/1 Liverpool 11/2
GRAEME SAYS: I don’t see Liverpool not going through but City will probably win on the night…2-1
ANDY SAYS: Can see this being a cracker and City edging this leg…3-2
BOYLESPORTS PICK: Man City to win and both teams to score @7/5
FOOTBALLIndex – One to follow: Mo Salah, who else would you want to pick?

Second leg
Roma 19:45 Barcelona (agg 1-4)
Stadio Olimpico

TEAM NEWS: Barcelona are without left-back Lucas Digne and the ineligible Philippe Coutinho, and they hope to have Sergio Busquets available. Roma are without winger Diego Perotti, but they will have Radja Nainggolan and Cengiz Under available.
KEY FACT: Lionel Messi has 12 goals in 19 games against Italian clubs 
MATCH ODDS: Roma 4/1 Draw 16/5 Barcelona 4/6
GRAEME SAYS: I don’t see Barcelona being troubled, comfortable win…0-2
ANDY SAYS:  This will probably end in a draw, but Barcelona will have little issue progressing…1-1
BOYLESPORTS PICK: Over 3.5 goals @6/4
FOOTBALLIndex – One to follow: Pretty simple, but Lionel Messi does still have some value

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