Domestic success might be viewed as more crucial than improvement on the European stage for Manchester City's supporters, but it's often reportedthat the club's board and owners would like to see the side perform to a better standard in the Champions League. As the team prepare for what could turn out to be one of the most crucial games of the campaign in the competition, manager Manuel Pellegrini possibly faces his toughest test in the City dugout.
This isn't a test like he's been used to in going up against one of the European elite. Sevilla visiting the Etihad on Wednesday aren't on a par with the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona, but there is intense pressure on the home side and it's not difficult to see that they have rarely produced their best in this sort of situation in the past.
There's no reason why the Champions League should be different. This City team have overcome some mentally tough scenarios in the past, but in Europe it always feels like their worst opponent is actually themselves. After all, it took a last-minute penalty and heroics from their goalkeeper Joe Hart to earn a 2-1 win at Borussia Monchengladbach in their last outing, against a side that could conceivably finish bottom of the group with no points.
Many will point to their group in 2014-15 as a positive that the team were able to galvanise from a bad start to qualify, but the truth is the final two matches were a solution to a problem that should never have existed in the first place. Having taken the lead in the 1-1 draw with Roma and having a two-goal advantage during the eventual 2-2 draw with CSKA Moscow, the Sky Blues should have had more than two points heading into the penultimate gameweek.
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That they went on to beat a 10-man Bayern Munich more by luck than judgement says qualification was a tad on the fortunate side, with only the 2-0 win in Rome really proving to be a good performance. While Pellegrini's side at least looked more at home in the competition this season against Juventus, they were undone by a team with a clear game plan. They appeared to be coping well under pressure until the latter stages of the match, but soon slipped into their old ways as they lost 2-1.
City have a big problem defending in Europe. In their entire history in the Champions League, they've kept four clean sheets and they've now played 30 times in the competition. That's not exactly music to the fans' ears ahead of Wednesday's game, as that's been the biggest area that needs addressing for the team this season.
Sevilla are no slouches, either. They'll come to the Etihad in full confidence that they'll be able to take maximum points. They're the current Europa League holders, having defended their title in May, and they've demonstrated an ability to switch up their style of play in order to get the necessary result, so this fixture will be no stroll in the park.
Yet still the biggest obstacle could be the hosts' mentality, despite winning their last outing 5-1 against Bournemouth. This isn't especially about a points tally, but rather the head-to-head record -- which would take a huge dent if the Blues didn't end Wednesday above Sevilla in Group D. Assuming Juventus win both of their games in their double-header with Borussia Monchengladbach, it could come down to City's performances against the Spanish side as to who joins the Italian champions in the knockout phase.
Injuries to Sergio Aguero and David Silva have come entirely at the wrong time, too. When the chips have been down in the Champions League, there have been occasions when City have been dug out of trouble by one of their stars, with the Argentine's hat trick against Bayern Munich last season being a good example. With Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Jesus Navas combining well versus Bournemouth, the supporters will be hoping to see that sort of form continue in the absence of other key individuals.
It would also be no surprise for Pellegrini to throw cpatain Vincent Kompany back into the fold, especially after the hullabaloo over him returning early for Belgium. After all, it was his injury against Juventus that seemed to spark City's defensive collapse this campaign. Before the centre-back limped off, the Sky Blues had conceded only one goal all season -- Mario Mandzukic's effort just four minutes before the skipper pulled his calf -- and there's not been a single clean sheet in the six matches since.
Certainly, Wednesday evening isn't going to be the toughest game City have faced in the Champions League, but it might just be their biggest test in the competition so far. The performance will go to prove whether they've learnt their lessons from previous campaigns, or whether they end up making the same mistakes again.
David Mooney is a writer and a radio journalist based in Manchester. He is also news editor on 104.9 Imagine FM. Twitter: @DavidMooney
Source: ESPN.com
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