Champions League 2018-19: Tottenham vs Manchester City, 3 key battles that you cannot miss
Tottenham Hotspur will take on Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City will take heart from the fact that they had got the better of the north London club when they met earlier in the season at Tottenham's then-home Wembley.
This game will be played out fiercely and Tottenham, who do not have any realistic chance of winning the Premier League, will give their everything. We pick out three key battles on the field which you just cannot miss.
#1 Harry Kane vs Aymeric Laporte
England captain Harry Kane will be up against Manchester City's French centre-back Aymeric Laporte on Tuesday and it will be a lip-smacking contest. Kane has been in top form and the presence of a vociferous and partisan crowd at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will play to his advantage.
Laporte, who has been Manchester City manager Guardiola's go-to man in all types of defensive crises, will be keen on stopping the Kane juggernaut. The former Athletic Bilbao man has impressed everyone in the Premier League and will take his form into the Champions League encounter on Tuesday.
2) Kieran Trippier vs Raheem Sterling
Tottenham right-back Kieran Trippier will have to deal with his England teammate Raheem Sterling tonight. Sterling is most likely to start on the left wing of Manchester City's attack and can cause a lot of problems for the defenders. Trippier will have the responsibility to shield them from Sterling and get a tackle or two in the way.
Sterling is a fast runner and can outfox any defender with his fabulous zig-zag and crossing techniques. Trippier will have to be wary of the threat that the diminutive Manchester City man possesses.
3) Christian Eriksen vs Kevin de Bruyne
The battle between two of the classiest attacking midfielders in the Premier League, Denmark's Christian Eriksen and Belgium's Kevin de Bruyne will make for a fantastic contest tonight. De Bruyne was brilliant in City's 1-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in the semi-final of the FA Cup held on Saturday and will be confident of doing well on Tuesday too.
Eriksen is an artistic player who never hits the ball too hard but caresses it gently and finds gaps in the field with relative ease and comfort. The two of them are similar in style but will be doing their utmost to secure a win for their side tonight.