Manchester City host Bayern Munich at the Etihad in the Champions League Group E clash on Tuesday, knowing that they have to win today if they are to keep their hopes of qualifying to the last 16 alive.
City are currently rockbottom of the group, having lost twice and drawn twice in their first four matches. Manuel Pellegrini's men must now beat Bayern and hope the other Group E match between CSKA Moscow and AS Roma ends in a draw.
The Citizens have been below par in England as well this season, and are already eight points behind runaway leasers Chelsea. Pellegrini and the players know the pressure to get results is mounting on them but the manager has played down such suggestions.
"I don't feel there is any extra pressure," the Chilean tactician pointed out. It's important for this club to do well in Europe; it's one of our targets, to improve every year. We will see the team fighting to the end to try and continue in the Champions League and I hope we will do it. I'm sure the team, plus myself, have a lot of faith that we can do it. I hope we will continue to have a chance until the last game."
Bayern, on the other hand, can even afford to rest some of their big players today, having already secured the top spot in the group after gaining maximum points from their first four matches. Pep Guardiola's side has been in stellar form this season, and head into this tie on the back of consecutive 4-0 wins.
The Bavarians are seven points clear of second-placed Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga table. The German giants are now on an 18-match unbeaten run, which includes a 1-0 win over City in the reverse fixture at the Allianz Arena.
"To play football we need tension, we need something to fight for," stressed Guardiola. "You need to be a little bit afraid to play football. From that point of view Manchester city are a little bit ahead of us. The game is more important for them than us. We have to defend our team, our club; we can't just be here for fun."
Team News
City: Yaya Toure and Fernandinho are suspended for this tie, while David Silva, Edin Dzeko and Alexandar Kolarov remain sidelined. However, Sergio Aguero and Steven Jovetic, who sat out the training session on Monday, have been passed fit to play.
Bayern: Philipp Lahm, David Alaba, Javi Martinez, Pepe Reina, Thiago Alcantara, Holger Badstuber and Claudio Pizarro all miss the trip to Manchester due to their respective injuries, while Bastian Schweinsteiger has returned from a yet another spell in the treatment room.
Where to Watch Live
City vs Bayern is scheduled for a 1.15 am IST (7.45 pm GMT, 3.45 pm ET) start, with live coverage on Ten Action in India. The match can also be watched via live streaming online on Ten Sports Live.
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on ITV 1 UK and UTV or listen to the action live on BBC Radio 5 Live. US viewers can catch the game live on Fox Sports 1 USA or online on Fox Soccer 2Go. Audience in Canada can see the tie via live stream on Sportsnet World.
Viewers in the Middle East and North Africa can watch the match on beIN Sports Arabia 11 HD and beIN Sports Arabia 13 HD or via live streaming online, courtesy beIN Sports Connect. South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can see the contest on SuperSport 3 Africa or SuperSport online.
