Manchester City vs Dynamo Kiev

March 14, 2016
By: Milos Markovic

Manchester City are shoe-in to progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals as they prepare themselves to welcome Dynamo Kiev with a huge 3-1 advantage from the first leg in Ukraine.

Inconsistency the problem for City

Manchester City have lost three games on the bounce before their 3-1 triumph over Dynamo Kiev in February, but have failed to find consistency in their following matches. Truth be told, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have managed to win the League Cup having beaten Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley, but have suffered instant payback in the Premier League as Liverpool dispatched the Citizens easier than expected 3-0. Their 4-0 victory over relegation strugglers Aston Villa followed, but Manchester City are coming off from a goalless stalemate at Norwich City, which left them in fourth place in the standings, nine points adrift of the Premier League leaders Leicester City. In contrast to previous European campaigns where Citizens have struggled to match their strong domestic performances, their best displays this season have been produced in Europe. Manuel Pellegrini is looking to make an impression before he closes the doors at Etihad at the end of the season and Champions League arguably remains his only chance to lift a major trophy this term.

Manuel Pellegrini is having usual selection worries for the midweek duel as Kevin De Bruyne and Samir Nasri remain long-term absentees. Fabian Delph is still struggling with his Achilles tendon problem and will remain on the sidelines until the international break.

Dynamo fighting for pride

The visitors are aware of the magnitude of the challenge that lies ahead. Having shipped three goals in the first leg, Dynamo Kiev will now need a miracle to get back in the tie. The match against Manchester City was Dynamo’s first competitive game since December and the Ukraine powerhouse are slowly gaining momentum and form. Heading into the game at the Etihad, Sergei Rebrov’s men have notched back-to-back league wins over Dnipro and Karpaty and the team travel to England with their confidence restored to some extent. Dynamo Kiev have won only four of their last 34 Champions League matches on the road, having lost 23 during this period and things are unlikely to get any better following their Tuesday’s visit. Dynamo Kiev will be hoping their key man Andriy Yarmolenko could make a difference against Manchester City as the 26-year-old Arsenal target has been in fine form in recent weeks. Yarmolenko scored three goals in Dynamo’s last three games, taking his tally to 10 goals in 17 league appearances.

Mykola Morozyuk remains on the sidelines for additional month or two due to a serious knee injury, but Rebrov will have other selection problems for the upcoming event.

Verdict

Champions League is Manchester City’s best chance of salvaging the season. Manuel Pellegrini will see that his men go out and put a strong display despite the huge advantage from the first leg and I expect to see another win from the Citizens on Tuesday.

Top pick: Home win   1.62 (8/13) @Coral

Alternative pick 1: HT/FT Home win   2.45 (29/20) @BetFair

Alternative pick 2: Over 2.5 goals   1.7 (7/10) @Unibet

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