Manchester City and PSG played in the most thrilling match in the first of the quarterfinal ties in the Champions League, and now, all is left to play for between two teams which are desperate to advance to the semifinals of this tournament.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester City +175
Paris Saint-Germain +148
Draw +265
Over/Under 3 (under -130)
ODDS ANALYSIS
After the two teams split four goals in the first leg of this home-and-home series, the oddsmakers have adjusted and are banking on a ton of goals in this one. It's entirely possible, especially with the Parisians having to go for broke to get goals on English soil. All three of the matches PSG has played in the knockout rounds have featured at least three goals, so it shouldn't be surprising that the total in this one is set at a flat 3 with -130 vig on the under.
The two sides can hardly be separated, though. The Ligue 1 side is the slight favorite at +148 on the moneyline, but Manchester City is the slightly favored side to advance from this affair with two away goals in tote coming back to the Ethiad.
THE FIRST LEG
The first meeting between these two was truly a special affair. The game wasn't quite as up and down as the 2-2 score line would tell, but there were some frantic moments for sure, and all at the Parc des Princes were on the edge of their seat the entire night.
City struck first on 38 minutes when Kevin de Bruyne finished one from the edge of the inner box, but PSG had the answer just three minutes later when the Citizens self-destructed. A lazy pass on a goal kick from Joe Hart turned into an opportunity for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the Swede doesn't miss chances when he's presented with them on silver platters.
The Parisians did take the lead less than a quarter hour out of the half when Adrien Rabiot slotted one past Hart, but Fernandinho had the answer on a brilliant volley into the corner of the target.
All in all, it was a tight affair that was worthy of the 2-2 result. PSG dominated possession as to be expected with 67 percent of the ball, but it's tough to say that it definitively had the better of the chances, especially if you remove Hart's blunder near his own goal.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
There's a slew of pressure on both of these teams right now. City knows that winning the Champions League is the one way to ensure its spot in the UCL next year with its spot via the Premier League still very much so up in the air. PSG meanwhile, is tired of getting knocked out of the UCL at this juncture, and it knows this is the match it absolutely has to win to prove that it truly is one of the upper echelon teams in Europe.
Just as PSG was able to come to London and knock off Chelsea in the Round of 16, we think it will end up doing the same here in Manchester. All the credit in the world goes out to a team which has really pressed forward with Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani and Ibrahimovic, and we expect those three are going to see the Parisians through in what should be yet another gripping match between two really good sides.
Champions League Odds: PSG 2, Manchester City 1
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