Manchester City host Italian side Napoli Wednesday for both teams' foray into Champions League football.
Some people are already touting Manchester City to be a contender for the Finals before a ball has even been kicked. Personally I would not be so bold as to make such a prediction, however Mancini has assembled a squad capable of a prolonged European campaign this year, something that wasn’t true as recent as a year ago.
High-caliber signings like Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy, coupled with previous buys like Edin Dzeko, David Silva, and Yaya Toure, look capable of pushing City over the top.
I could certainly see the Citizens making steps in the right direction, but one of the key signatures, in my opinion, would be Owen Hargreaves.
Signed on a free after his Manchester United contract had expired, Hargreaves has a wealth of Champions League experience, collecting the winners medal twice throughout a career plagued with injury.
That's the downside.
A fit Hargreaves can be used sparingly to take the strain off of Toure, Nigel DeJong and Gareth Barry during a grueling season (Toure will be gone for all of January for the African Nations Cup), however a injury ravaged Hargreaves would only warm the recently vacated physio’s table (recently vacated of course as Roque Santa Cruz has moved away on loan!)
Even without Hargreaves City seem, through their League performances to date, to finally be the real deal.
Gone are the days of winning 1-0 and playing defensive tactics at home to lesser teams. A Mancini-led City this season has the grace and flow that very few teams can manage. Nasri and Silva are certainly the puppet masters in the midfield but already we have two strikers notching up goals for fun in Aguero and Dzeko.
Combine that with one of the best defenses in the EPL last season and you have a potent and dangerous mix. The defenders attack when City have the ball and the attackers defend when they don‘t. Everything is as a unit and everyone knows their role and responsibilities to the team.
Of course the real test will be on Wednesday when City face Napoli. The Italian side come into the game fresh, as their season only just started last weekend and will have no pressure on them, being the away team and also new to the competition.
I can see City winning this game by the single goal and I don’t think they will have any fear over Villarreal or Bayern Munich, the other teams in the group but must remain cautious. As I have said before in previous articles I think City will indeed progress out of the groups. Once in the knockout stages anything can happen and it will certainly be an enjoyable ride for all City fans.
Starting Lineup: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Toure(Y), Barry, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko and Aguero.
Some people are already touting Manchester City to be a contender for the Finals before a ball has even been kicked. Personally I would not be so bold as to make such a prediction, however Mancini has assembled a squad capable of a prolonged European campaign this year, something that wasn’t true as recent as a year ago.
High-caliber signings like Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy, coupled with previous buys like Edin Dzeko, David Silva, and Yaya Toure, look capable of pushing City over the top.
I could certainly see the Citizens making steps in the right direction, but one of the key signatures, in my opinion, would be Owen Hargreaves.
Signed on a free after his Manchester United contract had expired, Hargreaves has a wealth of Champions League experience, collecting the winners medal twice throughout a career plagued with injury.
That's the downside.
A fit Hargreaves can be used sparingly to take the strain off of Toure, Nigel DeJong and Gareth Barry during a grueling season (Toure will be gone for all of January for the African Nations Cup), however a injury ravaged Hargreaves would only warm the recently vacated physio’s table (recently vacated of course as Roque Santa Cruz has moved away on loan!)
Even without Hargreaves City seem, through their League performances to date, to finally be the real deal.
Gone are the days of winning 1-0 and playing defensive tactics at home to lesser teams. A Mancini-led City this season has the grace and flow that very few teams can manage. Nasri and Silva are certainly the puppet masters in the midfield but already we have two strikers notching up goals for fun in Aguero and Dzeko.
Combine that with one of the best defenses in the EPL last season and you have a potent and dangerous mix. The defenders attack when City have the ball and the attackers defend when they don‘t. Everything is as a unit and everyone knows their role and responsibilities to the team.
Of course the real test will be on Wednesday when City face Napoli. The Italian side come into the game fresh, as their season only just started last weekend and will have no pressure on them, being the away team and also new to the competition.
I can see City winning this game by the single goal and I don’t think they will have any fear over Villarreal or Bayern Munich, the other teams in the group but must remain cautious. As I have said before in previous articles I think City will indeed progress out of the groups. Once in the knockout stages anything can happen and it will certainly be an enjoyable ride for all City fans.
Starting Lineup: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Toure(Y), Barry, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko and Aguero.
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