Can Man City leave Schalke shaken in Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 battle at the Veltins-Arena?

Shock loss at Newcastle aside – one that could be looked back upon as a costly mistake by the end of the season – City have been romping and stomping their way through 2019. Since the year began they have scored a ludicrous 46 goals in just 12 games across the EFL Cup, FA Cup and Premier League, clinging onto the top spot in the latter having played one more game than Liverpool.

Now, those numbers are skewed slightly by the weaker sides they’ve faced in the Cups, including Rotherham, Newport County and Burton Albion. On the other hand, they put 6 past Chelsea, and will be aiming to do the same when they meet at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final this weekend.

Though they were oddly unable to get one over Lyon, losing at home before drawing at the Parc Olympique, City were basically untroubled in the Champions League group stages, finishing 5 points clear of the French pests.

As for Schalke, though they finished behind Porto in Group D, Europe has nevertheless provided the club with a moment away from their domestic woes. After a finishing 2nd in the Bundesliga last season – their best result since 2009/10, even if they were 21 points adrift of Bayern Munich – expectations were high going into 2018/19. It was a crushing disappointment, then, when Schalke lost their first 5 games on the trot, with the club yet to properly recover.

In something of a terrifying divergence of talent, Schalke have scored 38 goals in the entirety of this season, 6 less than City have managed in the New Year alone. Sergio Aguero, who has 23 goals total, sits at a Super Mega PGM of 65-75, with Raheem Sterling at 30-36 and Leroy Sane at 27-32; Gabriel Jesus, meanwhile, is out with a hamstring injury.

While not quite infallible, Wednesday’s visitors have been like a hit squad in 2019, and go into the 1st leg at a Man City/Schalke (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 1.5-1.7, alongside a Bookings spread of 42-46 and a Total Goals spread of 2.95-3.15.