Preview: Roma v Manchester City
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Article summary
Both coaches were accentuating the positives ahead of AS Roma's mouth-watering showdown with Manchester City FC in Italy, "a final" in almost every sense.
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Article body
• Rudi Garcia "quietly confident" ahead of what is "a final for both teams"
• Manuel Pellegrini promises that City will attack as they always do
• City are without Sergio Agüero, scorer of 16 goals in his last 15 club games
• Stevan Jovetić, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho all passed fit
• Pellegrini's side have won their last five fixtures in all competitions
Permutations: Roma (5pts) v City (5)
• Roma will be through with a win, or a draw if CSKA draw with Bayern. If CSKA lose, Roma would be through with a goalless draw but out with a score draw.
• City must win and hope CSKA do not, or get a score draw and hope CSKA lose. If they lose they are definitely out of Europe altogether.
Possible lineups
Roma: De Sanctis; Maicon, Astori, Manolas, Holebas; Pjanić, Keita, Nainggolan; Gervinho, Totti, Ljajić.
• Out: Castán (head), Torosidis (calf)
• Doubtful: Skorupski (thigh)
City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Mangala, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho; Milner, Jovetić, Nasri; Dzeko.
• Out: Touré (suspended), Nastasić (thigh), Agüero (knee)
• Doubtful: Silva (knee)
Rudi Garcia, Roma coach
In normal circumstances, we would be out [with five points from five games], but we are here to get a historic result. Like I said before the CSKA match, we have to enjoy the game and do the best we can. It would be amazing if we won. We want to go through. We have to be focused on this aim. It's a difficult game but I'm quietly confident.
We have to use our heads, not just our hearts. I think it will be a tactical game. I coach this team every day and I know what they can do. When the draw put us in the most difficult group, few people would have imagined we would be here with something to play for.
We played very well in Manchester, but this is a different game. City are in good form, but we are at home. We are confident. This is the last game of the group stage, so it is just like a final for both teams.
Manuel Pellegrini, City manager
It will be a very important evening. Reaching the round of 16 is very important for the club. In this competition we have made many mistakes, especially in Moscow, and tomorrow we want to show what we can do because we want to play in the round of 16. We have good players and if we can beat Bayern, we can beat anybody.
We are an attacking team and we are not going to change anything now. In the first part of the season we weren't playing very well, now it's better. Both sides want to qualify, though. Roma are a big team in Italy and have a very good squad. It's as important for them as it for us. It is a very difficult group, with the champions of Germany and Russia – we knew it would be really hard.
Roma are a very good squad, with good players in attack, but they know how to defend as well. Rudi Garcia has a very good team, not just an attacking team. Tomorrow will be important in every aspect, for us and them. My only request for my players is that they go out on the pitch and do what they have been doing of late; it is the best way of getting into the last 16.
Weekend results
Roma 2-2 US Sassuolo Calcio (Ljajić 78pen 90+3; Zaza 15 18)
City 1-0 Everton FC (Touré 24pen)
Form guide (all competitions)
Roma: DWDWWL
City: WWWWWD
Match facts
• Have City ever won in Italy? Find out in our match background.