Manchester City’s misfiring Champions League displays have left them in a mood to finally make amends when Bayern Munich visit on Tuesday evening. “It is a positive anger,” said Manuel Pellegrini, the City manager, when asked about a Group E campaign that has yielded two points and serial disappointment.
To have zero wins and a goal difference of minus two with six points left to play for is a dismal return. If City fail to progress to the knockout stage this could, ultimately, cost Pellegrini his job. Asked if it would be unacceptable not to go through, the Chilean was his inscrutable self. “I’ll say after,” he said.
What Pellegrini and supporters hope for is victory over Bayern and Roma while other results fall in their favour. Yet to beat Pep Guardiola’s German champions and runaway Bundesliga leaders will not be simple. And the manager cannot call on the injured David Silva or the suspended Fernandinho and Yaya Touré.
Pellegrini said: “We are without three very important players but that’s why we have a squad. We know we must win against Bayern and must have the personality to go and be aggressive from the beginning. This is our last chance to progress in the Champions League.”
Some may view City’s hope as moribund yet Pellegrini continues to plot Bayern’s dismantling. However, his explanation of how sounded like an outline of his side’s ills. “First of all by trying to recover the ball as soon as we can with good pressing,” said the manager. “After that trying not to lose it with easy passes. It’s very difficult to recover the ball against them because they play very well with technical players. They must be a little bit tired to recover the ball and not fresh to counterattack.”
There may be a searing desire to make up for the bad performances but this has become an unfulfilled mantra since the opening loss at Bayern. Pellegrini said: “We have two games more. A lot of time the teams [that] have played badly in the group have won the Champions League. We’ve made important mistakes – especially against CSKA Moscow. So, yes, there is a positive anger.
“As a team we never think chances are gone [both] in the Premier League and Champions League. Maybe we are in a difficult position. If we don’t play a good game against Bayern Munich of course we cannot continue in the Champions League, but I have trust in these players and am sure we are going to play a good game. The only thing we need to do is win.”
Might the Germans, who have already qualified, coast through the game? “No, Bayern never take it easy. Big teams never take one game easier. We are going to see a very good Bayern on Tuesday.”
The victory over Swansea City came after Wilfried Bony’s fine opener was answered by strikes from Stevan Jovetic and Touré. A sluggish City improved as the match went on.
For Pellegrini the glass was half-full. “One of the ways we’ve improved has been our intensity,” he said. “In the last games we’ve played with a lot of intensity but not consistently. We did it from the beginning to end today.”
For Garry Monk there was disappointment after his Swansea team played valiantly. Thoughts are already turning to January to strengthen a squad currently only one point outside the Champions League positions.
He said: “We had four injuries leading up to Arsenal and you think if this continues, we are going to need quite a few. Now, apart from Federico Fernández, we have a fully fit squad. I am looking for players in every single position, not just for January but the summer ahead. I have a couple more weeks before I decide precisely how many I’d want.”
Man of the match Wilfried Bony (Swansea City)
