Manchester City begin the second half of their group stage schedule is a bit of trouble. Any chance of winning Group E seems pretty much lost, but second place is very much within reach despite the fact that City are win-less in three matches so far.
Manchester City vs. CSKA Moscow, 2014 UEFA Champions League: Team news and game preview
Both City and CSKA are desperate for a win as they try to keep their hopes of advancing out of Group E alive.
With Roma facing Bayern Munich in Germany, there’s every reason to believe that City could jump over the Italian side with a win over CSKA Moscow. Considering how poorly things have gone for Manuel Pellegrini’s team, that’s not bad. The trouble of course is that City have virtually no room for error at this point. Finishing second to Bayern would be acceptable, but failing to advance to the knockout round would be seen as an abject failure.
With City’s league form a bit up and down, the pressure on Pellegrini would become immense and who knows how City’s ownership might react. For the moment though, they just need to defeat CSKA.
Key Player: Sergio Agüero (Manchester City)
Even with talented teammates around him, there’s little doubt that Sergio Agüero is the man for Manchester City. When he’s healthy, he’s a nightmare for opposing defenses and unfortunately for CSKA, Agüero is healthy. He score the match winner in the Manchester Derby on Sunday, his ninth goals in his last eight appearances. That’s pretty scary form.
Key Matchup: CSKA defense vs. City attack
Even with David Silva likely out with a knee injury, City's formidable attack should be licking their chops ahead of facing CSKA. The Russian side has conceded eight goals in three Champions League matches, including two in the first meeting between the clubs. Of course, City allowed two goals as well in that game, so their defense will need to do a better job as well.
Liverpool injuries and suspensions
Out: David Silva (knee). In Doubt: Alkesandar Kolarov (unspecified), Frank Lampard (thigh), Eliaquim Mangala (hip).
CSKA Moscow injuries and suspensions
Out: Rasmus Elm (stomach), Kirill Panchenko (knee).
David Silva is expected to miss Wednesday match with a knee injury sustained in the Legue Cup. He's vital part of the City attack, but with the return of Samir Nasri from a groin injury, Pellegrini has options to fill-in for the Spaniard. Frank Lampard hasn't played since October and will likely not feature.
Match Date/Time: Wednesday 8:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Ethiad Stadium, Manchester, England
TV: FOX Sports 2, DirecTV, FOX Soccer Plus (U.S. - English), FOX Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet Regional (Canada), Sky Sports 5/HD (U.K.), NTV, NTV+ Sport (Russia)
Online: FOX Soccer 2Go, FOX Sports Go (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), SkyGo (U.K.), NTV+ Sport Online (Russia)
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