Before rushing off for an audience with Juan Carlos I of Spain, who awaited in his office, Manuel Pellegrini was clear Yaya Touré and the rest of Manchester City’s star turns have to perform against CSKA Moscow in Tuesday’s crucial Champions League encounter.
So far, against Bayern Munich and Roma, Pellegrini’s squad have lacked inspiration, with Touré a particular disappointment. After losing 1-0 in Bavaria and drawing 1-1 with Roma at the Etihad Stadium, City have a point and are virtually playing sudden death in Group E.
In those two outings Touré, David Silva, Sergio Agüero, and Edin Dzeko were among those who disappointed. Asked how important it was the Ivorian and his other big guns fire, the manager said: “I always say when you want to win something you need a team that knows how to play and after that you need to have your best performance.
“We have very important players and of course they must make the difference after the team plays in a way I like. Maybe against Bayern Munich we were a little bit unlucky, it was a game we play away. Against Roma we didn’t play well, but I hope we start now in Champions League playing the way we have in the last two games in Premier League.”
This was reference to the 2-0 win at Aston Villa and Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, which featured an Agüero quadruple.
Yet here was a topsy-turvy affair that featured four penalties – one missed by the Argentinian – plus a Federico Fazio red card and ended up as a thumping from the champions while featuring sloppiness from them, as noted by Pellegrini. The chief culprit was Fernando, who gave away possession in threatening positions, a cardinal sin for all holding midfielders.
His manager said: “We must be balanced. Football is always different, if you are talking about the game we played [against Spurs], of course, it’s not normal to concede or lose so many balls near our box. But if you talk to me about the [other] games we play, we didn’t lose balls but we didn’t have clear chances to score.
“We had excess of [clumsiness] with the ball at our foot because we lost three or four important balls near our box, that can finish with a goal. And in that way I am sure we will have the concentration we need first to not concede a goal [against CSKA]. And, after, to work the 90 minutes, and working as an offensive team as we always do, we are going to score goals.”
The City executive have targeted the quarter-finals to show progression from last term’s achievement of reaching the last 16. Yet despite this the Chilean refuses to bill the clash at the Arena Khimki, which will be empty due to CSKA’s stadium ban for racist behaviour from fans, as the campaign’s most important match.
“No, I don’t agree about that because when we started the game against Bayern Munich it was a very important game and against Roma also,” Pellegrini said. “We are talking just about Champions League. What we know is that we must win if we want to continue to have options to qualify for the next stage. But we are not just playing Champions League. If we don’t win against Tottenham and Chelsea wins, eight points behind Chelsea is very difficult.
“We are involved in four competitions, at the moment in three. After that we’re going to start the FA Cup. I hope we are going to play in the same way as we did, especially against Aston Villa, not conceding one chance – well I think one chance in 90 minutes.”
Agüero’s four against Spurs featured two penalties plus two of the sharp finishes that have marked his time with City, and throughout his career. The striker is now the club’s highest Premier League scorer on 61 goals, passing Carlos Tevez’s record of 58. If Agüero continues in similar vein against Leonid Slutsky’s team in Moscow they could be blown away.
Joe Hart, whose fine save at 2-1 from a Roberto Soldado penalty was pivotal, offered an intriguing revelation regarding Agüero: “I don’t think he will be unhappy with me saying it – that some days in training he is useless. That is just down to him. He’s a big-match player. Finishing-wise he is the best.”
While Frank Lampard will not travel due to the muscle injury suffered against Spurs, City badly need Agüero and his team-mates to prove, again, how good they are in Moscow.
Man of the match Sergio Agüero (Manchester City)
