Because of the difficulty of their group, Manchester City's Champions League campaign so far hasn't been a disaster, though they'd have certainly liked to have picked up more than a single point from their first two games. Fortunately, they should be able to keep the pressure on Bayern Munich and AS Roma above them by picking up a win against the group's weakest side, CSKA Moscow, on Tuesday.
CSKA Moscow vs. Manchester City, 2014 UEFA Champions League: Team news and game preview
Manchester City will be expecting to pick up all three points away in Moscow on Tuesday.
Shaun Botterill
CSKA have succumbed to defeats in both of their opening matches, and were embarrassed 5-1 away at Roma on the opening matchday. Unlike the other Russian representatives in the tournament, Zenit St. Petersburg, CSKA don’t really look like a team capable of causing Europe’s best sides too many problems. Expect City to pick up a pretty comfortable three points here.
Key player - Sergio Agüero (Manchester City)
Is Sergio Agüero the best pure striker in the world at the moment? It's not hard to claim so. The Argentine has had a ridiculous start to the Premier League season, scoring nine goals in his opening eight games -- and he only started six of them. He scored four goals as City thrashed Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend, and he's just about in the form of his life. Good luck keeping him quiet, CSKA.
Key matchup - CSKA’s counter-attacks vs. City’s defence
CSKA may well be the home team in this match, but it’s difficult to imagine them matching City for possession. Instead, they’re going to have to hit the Citizens on the break, and use the pace of the likes of Zoran Tošić and Ahmed Musa to good effect. City’s defence this season has been far from perfect -- especially down the left side -- so if CSKA get their counters flowing, they could well cause an upset.
CSKA Moscow injuries and suspensions
Out: Rasmus Elm (stomach), Vitinho (ankle), Kirill Panchenko (knee). In doubt: Mário Fernandes (elbow).
Manchester City injuries and suspensions
Out: Samir Nasri (groin). In doubt: None.
CSKA Moscow will still be without long-term absentees Rasmus Elm, Vitinho and Kirill Panchenko, while recently-capped Brazilian defender Mário Fernandes is a doubt after being withdrawn early with an elbow injury on the weekend. City’s only certain absentee is Samir Nasri, who is still recovering from a groin problem.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 8 p.m. local, 12 p.m. ET
Venue: Arena Khimki, Moscow, Russia
TV: Fox Sports 1, Fox Soccer Plus, Directv (U.S.), Sportsnet World (Canada), Sky Sports 5/HD (U.K.), NTV+ Football (Russia)
Online: Fox Soccer 2Go, ESPN3 Online-App (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go (U.K.), NTV+ Sport Online (Russia)
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