Manchester City – Schalke SOCCER PICKS
Manchester City and Schalke 04 face each other at Etihad Stadium, in a return leg of this UEFA Champions League phase (8th Finals), after in the first leg Manchester City won by (2-3). In this game the home factor may be decisive, since Schalke 04 presents considerable differences in their results at home and as a visitor.
Manchester City:
The home team comes to this second leg with an advantage of 1 goal, after the victory was by (2-3) in the first leg. This is a team that usually maintains its competitive levels in home and away matches, since in the last 30 matches they register 9 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses in away matches; against 14 victories and 1 loss at their stadium. The team comes to this match after a home victory over Watford by (3-1). In the last 10 home matches for all competitions, Manchester City won 9 and lost 1.
For this competition, they have not lost any of the last 6 games. The team has conceded goals in 5 of the last 7 matches, so they have not presented great defensive solidity, but their attack has scored regularly, since they have always scored at least one goal in the last 7 matches for this competition. In their away matches there is a tendency for goals, since 54 of the last 61 matches have ended with Over 1,5 goals and 49 in 61 have ended with Over 2,5 goals. The team usually has no problem opening the scoring: it marked the first goal in 14 of the last 15 games, of these 14 came to the break in advantage in 9 and managed to maintain the advantage until the end of the 90 ‘in 13.
Manchester City comes to this game motivated, after beating Watford 3-1, adding the third consecutive win in official games. It should be noted that the English beat Schalke 04, 2-3, in the first leg of the knockout stages of the Champions League. In this game, before the fans, the coach Pep Guardiola must keep the 4-3-3, being Sergio Aguero, Sterling and Mahrez the most advanced players of the local team. The Argentine Sergio Aguero is the great highlight of Manchester City in official games, with 25 goals scored. For this game the coach can not count on Otamendi and Fernandinho, both suspended, in addition to Stones and Kevin de Bruyne, injured.
Schalke 04:
After the defeat at home, the visiting team comes to this second leg with a disvalue of 1 goal and with the difficult task of recovering this negative result as a visitor. This is a team that usually makes good use of the home advantage, stronger with the help of its supporters, since in the last 30 matches they register 3 wins, 6 draws and 6 losses in away matches, with 16 goals scored and 24 conceded; against 7 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses at their stadium, with 24 goals scored and 22 suffered. In the last match they played for the Bundesliga, they lost with Werder Bremen out by (4-2). In the last 10 away matches Schalke 04 has a record of 1 win, 3 draws and 6 losses. Their offense has scored frequently, since they have scored goals in 6 of the last 7 matches for this competition. In 10 games, he never got the comeback in the 5 games in which he suffered the first goal.
Schalke 04 enters this match with a defeat, 4-2, in the displacement to the land of Bremen, registering the sixth consecutive game without beating in official matches. Having lost in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, by 2-3, the German club seeks to reverse and win a victory. Normally the coach Domenico Tedesco acts in 3-5-2, privileging the defensive organization and the fast attacks by the flanks. Nabil Bentaleb is the best scorer of Schalke 04, with 8 goals scored. For this game the coach can not count on Schopf and Caligiuri, both injured.
