Born in the south east of Ireland, Simon put his life-long love of football to good use when he started a successful independent blog in 2010. That opened up an alternative route to a career in journalism, and having had work published across a number of sites and publications, Simon joined the staff at Spotlight Sports Group in 2018.
Manchester City are expected to come out all guns blazing in an attempt to overturn their 0-1 first leg deficit against Tottenham Hotspur in the closing chapter of the clubs’ Champions League Quarter Final double header at the Etihad this evening.
The Citizen’s are almost certain to launch wave after wave of attack in Manchester, and talismanic centre-forward Sergio Aguero will be at the crest of City’s swells.
Aguero is City’s leading scorer in both the Premier and Champions League this season, netting 19 and 5 goals respectively in each.
The 30-year old explosive finisher will be central to City’s chances of success again this evening, and with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the betting markets where Aguero could make his presence felt.
Sergio Aguero to score anytime – 8/13
Sergio Aguero hasn’t had the best of times against Tottenham Hotspur in recent seasons – in fact, the Argentine has failed to score in each of his last 7 games against them, and his penalty miss in the first leg of the clubs UCL Quarter Final last week proved pivotal.
Aguero will be desperate to make amends for his fluffed spot-kick however, and having registered 5 times in 4 Champions League fixtures before City’s clash with Spurs last week, the lethal poacher has already shown how dangerous he can be in Europe’s top club competition.
City will be hunting goals from the first whistle at the Etihad this evening, and with Aguero certain to be at the sharp end of their attacking play, he looks great value at 8/13 with bet365 to score anytime.
Toby Alderweireld to get booked – 4/1
One of the players tasked with trying to limit Aguero’s influence will be Tottenham Hotspur centre-half Toby Alderweireld.
It’s not clear yet whether the Belgian international will be deployed in a 2 or a 3-man central defensive unit by Mauricio Pochettino, though Alderweireld will find himself in close proximity to Aguero in either tactical set-up.
Alderweireld has only been booked on 4 separate occasions for Spurs overall this season, though 50% of those bookings were picked up in Tottenham’s 8 Champions League fixtures.
The 30-year old defender, who looks set to leave Spurs this summer, will have much more defensive work to get through than normal this evening, and at 4/1 with bet365, Alderweireld is priced brilliantly to be shown yellow for the 5th time this season.
Sergio Aguero over 1.5 shots on target – 1/2
Sergio Aguero’s exceptional scoring figures this season are the product of what has been a hugely prolific campaign for the Argentine in terms of attempts on goal.
Aguero has averaged an eye-watering 3.5 attempts on goal per Premier League appearance in 2018/19 and that figure rises to an even meatier looking 4.3 per 90 minutes at Champions League level.
When it come to accuracy, Aguero has hit the mark with his attempts a staggering 2.3 times per game on average in the Champions League – a figure that only Lionel Messi (2.8) and Neymar (2.7) have improved upon this season.
You can take advantage of Aguero’s phenomenally accurate shooting by backing him at 1/2 with bet365 to have over 1.5 shots on target against Tottenham this evening.
Aguero is also available at 4/7 with bet365 to rack up over 3.5 attempts on goal at the Etihad – a shots total he has passed in 16 Manchester City appearances in 2018/19 to date.
Aguero to score first and Man City to win – 3/1
Sergio Aguero is Manchester City’s top scorer in both the Premier and Champions League this season, though it’s his ability to score goals at crucial junctures and times in games that really stands him apart from some of the game’s other leading marksmen.
Aguero’s habit of breaking the deadlock in games for City is quite remarkable, and 41.6% of his 24 Premier and Champions League goals this season were the first goal in their respective fixtures.
The Argentine’s breakthrough making ability has been particular potent at the Etihad this term, and 60% of his deadlock smashing goals were scored on home turf for the Citizens.
City will be banking on their star striker delivering the goods again this week, and we think he looks well worth considering in the first goalscorer markets this evening. You can back an Aguero first goal and Man City win combination at a lucrative looking 3/1 with bet365.
