Sporting CP vs Manchester City Betting Tips 16/02/2022

February 14, 2022

Benson Chikezie, Senior Author

Sporting CP will welcome Manchester City in the second UEFA Champions League Round of 16 fixture on the 16th of February, 1:30 IST. It is the first meeting between the two sides since their last and only competitive duel in the 2012 Europa League season.

A lot has changed since then, as City has gone on to become a powerhouse in England. That maiden Champions League trophy still eludes Guardiola’s side, after losing last year’s final to Chelsea. City will be looking to go all the way this time around, but they have Sporting CP to deal with.

Teams Status

Sporting CP

Sporting CP is having a great season by their standards, as they hope to compete against Europe’s big teams, most of whom have much deeper pockets than the Portuguese side. They sit second in the Primeira Liga, 6 points behind leaders FC Porto, and 6 points above Benfica who are in 3rd place. In 21 games, they have won 17, lost 2, and drawn 2.

In the Champions League, Sporting was able to scalp their way through to the Round of 16 after losing their first 2 games. 3 wins out of 6 were enough for them to nick second place behind Ajax. Pedro Goncalves is their leading goalscorer in the UCL with 4 goals and 2 assists.

For their team news and player availability, Sporting CP will be without top scorer Pedro Goncalves who is out with injury, and defender Porro Pedro who is unavailable.

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are arguably Europe’s strongest side at the moment. They have played the entire season without a ‘real’ striker, yet are 9 points at the top of the English Premier League, have not lost in the league since October, and have already scored 57 goals.

In the Champions League, City won 4 out of 6 games in the group stages, winning a group that had the likes of PSG and RB Leipzig in it. They scored 18 goals, and conceded 10, in a somewhat mixed run by their high standards. Riyad Mahrez is their top scorer with 5 goals and will hope to find the back of the net against Sporting.

For their team news, Manchester City will be without the services of Palmer Cole and Gabriel Jesus who are sidelined with injury.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Sporting CP	Draw	Manchester City
10.00	5.70	1.29
10.50	6.00	1.33
10.00	5.85	1.29

Manchester City are heavy favourites to win this fixture, according to the sportsbooks. On the Sportsbet.io sportsbook, Sporting to win is placed at 10.00 odds, a draw is at 5.70 odds, while a Manchester City victory is placed at 1.29 odds.

City to win is placed at 1.33 odds at the Paripesa sportsbook, a draw is at 6 odds, while a victory for Sporting is placed at 10.5 odds. On the Melbet sportsbook, Sporting to win is placed at 10 odds, a draw is at 5.85 odds, while a victory for Manchester City is placed at 1.29 odds.

Tipster’s Angle

Sporting CP only managed to get out of their Champions League group and although they have had some great performances, they have had below-par performances against stronger sides. A 1-5 loss at home to Ajax was their heaviest defeat in the UCL this season, and they will be hoping to shut Manchester City out, at least.

City have set the lofty aim of claiming the elusive Champions League trophy this season, and are expected to be firing on all cylinders in this fixture. Both sides do not have so much history between them, bar a Europa League encounter in 2012, so the tips will be based on recent form. Here are our tips for Sporting CP vs Manchester City:

Tip: Manchester City to Win @ 1.33

While we expect an open encounter, Manchester City will take control of this encounter possession-wise as is their custom. They have played relentlessly in recent times, creating chance after chance, and Sporting are highly unlikely to be able to withstand the pressure that Guardiola’s team can conjure. The game is City’s to lose, and Manchester City to win is available on the Parimatch sportsbook at 1.33 odds.

Tip: Both Teams To Score @ 2.025

This is a wildcard tip, no doubt, but Sporting CP have managed to score in all their Champions League home games this season. They will try to hit City on the break, which is their most likely route to scoring, and could succeed if they play their cards right. Both teams to score is available on the Melbet sportsbook at 2.025 odds.

Conclusion

It is the first meeting between these two sides in ten years, and City are undoubtedly the stronger side of the two. The game is Manchester City’s to lose, as they are known to control games with a seeming obsession for ball possession. Although Sporting will put up a fight, Manchester City are favourites to win this encounter.

Benson Chikezie

03:18, 14 Feb 2022

Senior Author

Benson Chikezie

Senior Author

03:18, 14 Feb 2022

Benson Chikezie is a Nigerian-based writer with many years of experience in the sports betting industry. He is a digital marketer by profession. Benson has written many sports related contents for various websites.