Source: TheGuardian
Basel v Manchester City: Champions League – live!
Champions League updates from the last-16, first-leg tieJuventus v Tottenham – latest news from TurinHot 1937 and 1968 action? It’s all here! And feel free to email your thoughts to Scott 7.13pm GMT Pre-match reading: It’s the time of the season when fans allow their hopes and dreams to run amok. And why not. Here’s how supporters of the 16 remaining Champions League clubs see things panning out. Related: Champions League: fans from around Europe preview the last-16 stage 6.58pm GMT Basel make three changes to the side that won 2-0 at Thun last weekend. Blás Riveros and Léo Lacroix come into the defence, while Fabian Frei steps into midfield. Defenders Éder Balanta and Raoul Petretta, and striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel, miss out.Manchester City make two changes to the team sent out to thrash Leicester City 5-1 on Saturday night, both in defence. Aymeric Laporte is replaced by captain Vincent Kompany, while Oleksandr Zinchenko makes way for Fabian Delph. And on the bench, Leroy Sané returns from injury! 6.55pm GMT Basel: Vaclik, Lang, Xhaka, Lacroix, Suchy, Riveros, Elyounoussi, Frei, Die, Stocker, Oberlin.Subs: Salvi, Zuffi, van Wolfswinkel, Ajeti, Manzambi, Petretta, Bua.Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Kompany, Otamendi, Delph, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Aguero, Sterling.Subs: Bravo, Danilo, Stones, Laporte, Sane, Silva, Foden. 10.40am GMT Basel have caused English teams one or two problems over the years, ever since beating Sheffield Wednesday in the 1995 Intertoto Cup. They knocked Ged Houllier’s Liverpool out of the Champions League in 2002 with a 29-minute three-goal blast. They bundled Manchester United out of the groups in 2011, during an era when United used to reach the final pretty much every season. They did for Spurs in the quarters of the Europa League in 2013. Chelsea were defeated in the Champions League groups in 2013 by Mo Salah - whatever happened to him? - while Liverpool were knocked out of the groups again, this time with Brendan Rodgers at the helm - in 2014. Basel also inflicted an embarrassing defeat on Manchester United in the groups last November. Otherwise, history is not on their side. This is Basel’s third appearance in the Round of 16, and they’ve never got any further in the Champions League. In 2012, they beat Bayern Munich 1-0 at home, only to lose the second leg 7-0. Three years later, they drew 1-1 at home with Porto, only to fall to another heavy second-leg defeat, going down 4-0 in Portugal. And despite beating United at St Jakob-Park three months ago, their recent home record is not promising: they’ve lost three of their last five European fixtures on their own turf, and won only three of their last ten. The conclusion? A good performance tonight by Pep Guardiola’s brilliant quadruple-chasing Manchester City should be enough settle this tie. Continue reading......read full article
