Manchester City vs RB Leipzig

A place in the Champions League quarter-finals is up for grabs as Manchester City and RB Leipzig go head-to-head in the return leg of their evenly-poised last-16 tie at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City wasted a 1-0 halftime lead in a 1-1 first-leg draw in Germany, compromising their chances of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals for the sixth season on the trot. But Pep Guardiola’s men have since gone into overdrive, winning four consecutive matches in domestic competitions, including the last three ‘to nil.’ That sounds promising as they bid to defy an underwhelming four-game European form against German opponents (W1, D2, L1). Adding to the home side’s confidence, they’ve racked up an eye-catching 21 wins across their last 23 Champions League matches at the Etihad (D2) and could equal the longest unbeaten home run in Europe’s elite competition featuring the Premier League clubs. That’s almost inevitable, as they’ve won seven of their last eight home outings in the Champions League knockout stages.

On the other hand, RB Leipzig have blown hot and cold in three Bundesliga games since the first-leg draw (W2, L1), with each match containing over 2.5 goals, highlighting the potential for a high-scoring contest. Yet ‘Die Roten Bullen’ wouldn’t mind a change in the script if that allows them to maintain a five-match unbeaten streak in the Champions League (W4, D1) and advance into the quarter-finals for the first time since 2019/20. That seems a bit far-fetched, though, as Marco Rose’s men have lost their last three Champions League visits to England, conceding a staggering 13 goals in the process, at an average of 4.3 per game. But on the bright side, the Germans have only lost once in their last ten competitive away fixtures (W6, D3), conceding under 1.5 goals on seven occasions.