Man City, CSKA Moscow collide to keep their European hopes alive
Struggling Manchester City will try to get their European campaign back on track with a critical game in Russia against CSKA Moscow (live, FOX Sports 1, Tuesday, 12 p.m. ET) as matchday three of the UEFA Champions League gets underway across the old continent. Tuesday's early game at the Khimki will be followed by seven other matches, highlighted by a rematch between Barcelona and Ajax (live, FOX Sports 1, 2 p.m. ET).
City have but a point from their first two games after falling 1-0 to Bayern at the Allianz Arena and then letting an early lead slip in Rome to draw Roma 1-1. A loss here would probably end their dreams, and while City manager Manuel Pellegrini downplayed the game's importance, he also noted that his team had to win here.
"Maybe against Bayern Munich we were a little bit unlucky," said Pellegrini Saturday after watching his side thump Tottenham 4-1 behind four goals from Sergio Aguero. "[That] was a game we play away. Against Roma we didn't play well, but I hope we start now in Champions League playing the way we have in the last two games in Premier League."
CSKA are in poorer straits, having failed to win a game thus far in the tournament. They're also condemned to play this game behind closed doors. CSKA fans set off flares and unfurled banners with racist messages at the Olimpico towards the end of a 5-1 loss to the Italian side. It is their second straight home game in this competition to be played without fans of either stripe, and it's not a situation that pleases Pellegrini, who had hoped the ban would be suspended.
"It will be a very strange game," said Pellegrini Monday. "I think it is a pity that we cannot play [Tuesday] with fans, as this competition is for the fans. But we don't have any other option."
City beat CSKA twice last season at this same stage, coming out of Moscow with a 2-1 win. But there remains a swagger about the side, inflamed when young striker Ahmed Musa was quoted as saying that City are "very weak." Certainly, City will need better performances from the likes of Yaya Toure and Aguero in this game as well as minding what has been a sometimes calamitous backline.
Pablo Zabaleta addressed Musa's statement directly on Monday, saying, "We like to play as an attacking team, but we sometimes leave space at the back. It would be great to leave players at the back, but we like to push high and that leaves space in behind. It is the way we like to play and we are not going to change this."
City will be without Frank Lampard, who left Saturday's 4-1 win over Spurs early with a thigh injury. Samir Nasri is still unavailable after undergoing groin surgery. CSKA will be missing Alan Dzagoev and Pontus Wernbloom to suspension while forward Seydou Doumbia is a doubt with a thigh problem.
Barcelona and Ajax will renew hostilities as well. It's a rematch of last season's group stage thrillers that saw Barcelona sweep the Dutch team aside 4-0 at the Camp Nou, but then get tripped up in Amsterdam, 2-1, in the return leg. Luis Enrique is not looking past his old teammate's side, but if history stands, Barcelona should have little issue with Frank de Boer's Ajax.
"Ajax are a very well-organized team that know how to attack," said Enrique Monday. "We won the first match, lost the second, and here comes the third. At home, and very important for our qualification [from the group]. We are used to playing every three or four days, and the most important match for us at the moment is one against Ajax, not the Clasico."
Ajax have never won at Barcelona. In fact, de Boer was playing the last time the Dutch side managed a win on Spanish soil, way back in 1997 at Atletico Madrid. Barcelona are also unbeaten in league play and Lionel Messi is chasing the all-time La Liga scoring record, inching close to Telmo Zarra's mark Saturday in their 3-0 win over Eibar.
But while Ajax are still searching for their first win this campaign, with 1-1 draws against both PSG and APOEL in the book, Barca are looking to rebound from their loss in Paris on Sept. 30 -- their earliest loss at this stage since 2001.
Ajax will be without defender Nicolai Boilesen (head) and Thulani Serero (hamstring) while Sergio Busquets will undergo a late fitness test for Barca.
Chelsea will host Maribor without a trio of stars; Diego Costa, Andre Schurrle and Ramires are all out for the game against the minnows. (Live, FOX Sports 2, Tuesday, 2 p.m. ET). But while few people doubt Chelsea lack the quality to sweep aside the Slovenes, it's worth noting that tiny Maribor have yet to lose a game in Europe this year -- and held Schalke to a shock 1-1 draw last time out.
Chelsea come into the game off a solid 2-1 win over Crystal Palace and are riding high in the Premier League with a five point lead over City. Maribor, on the other hand, are showing some of the strain of playing in Europe, losing 2-1 to Celje on the weekend, and sitting six points off the top of the table.
