Manchester City know that only a win will do at CSKA Moscow if they are to harbour realistic hopes of making it through to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Having lost their first match to Manchester City, and then only managing a draw with Roma, Manuel Pellegrini's men are desperate to pick up their first win this season in the Champions League.
The match will be a bit strange for Manchester City, in particular, as they will play without fans at the stadium due to a supporter ban handed out by the UEFA to CSKA for crowd trouble.
"It is a pity that we cannot play with fans tomorrow," Pellegrini said. "This is a showpiece for fans. It will be a very strange game, with only the players shouting on the pitch. I had this experience many years ago, so long ago I cannot remember the exact details, but it is not good.
"We have no option and we must play this way. Many may think the local team will suffer the most damage, but I think the biggest loser is the game of football."
With or without the fans, CSKA Moscow, familiar opponents to Manchester City, will be no walkovers, and Pellegrini will rely on his superstars to come to the fore, something they have done way too rarely in the Champions League.
In Sergio Aguero, Pellegrini currently has a striker who single-handedly destroyed Tottenham in the English Premier League at the weekend, scoring four goals, while the manager will also hope for some inspiration from Yaya Toure, who has been criticised for his performances in the Champions League this season.
"Yaya has the quality to make a difference," added Pellegrini. "He had a difficult summer, but every game he is getting better, such as against Aston Villa recently when he decided the outcome. He can play in different positions, at second striker or in the centre of midfield."
Having lost both their opening Group E games, a 5-1 thumping by Roma and a narrow 1-0 loss at Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow will be equally desperate to pick up maximum points, and manager Leonid Slutski believes his team face a big battle against Manchester City.
"Manchester City have been and remain favourites not only for our group but also the Champions League," said Slutski, despite City's underwhelming start this season in the Champions League. "And the fact that they have not won in the group does not mean anything.
"They played in Munich and against a strong Roma side. In the Premier League they are also playing well, beating Tottenham 4-1. They are favourites, but we will make every effort to achieve a positive result.
"We are preparing for a match against a top club. When we have the ball we will attack; when they have it we will defend."
Where to Watch Live
The Champions League Group E match is scheduled for a 9.30 pm IST (5 pm BST, 12 pm ET) start with live coverage on Ten Action and Ten HD in India. The match can also be watched via live streaming online in India on Ten Sports Live. Viewers in the UK can watch the match on Sky Sports 5 or live stream all the action on Sky Go or Sky Sports Online.
US viewers can watch the game live on Fox Soccer or live online on FoxSoccer2Go. Audience in Canada can watch the game via live streaming on Watch Sportsnet. Catch the game in the Middle East and North Africa on Bein Sports and Bein Sports Connect, while South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can watch the match on SuperSport or Supersport online.
Team news: Alan Dzagoev and Pontus Vernbloom are suspended for CSKA Moscow, while Rasmus Elm and Vitinho will miss the game through injuries. Only Frank Lampard and Samir Nasri are confirmed absentees for Manchester City.
Expected lineups: CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev; Fernandes, V Berezutski, Ignashevich, Schennikov; A Berezutski, Tosic, Natcho, Eremenko, Milanov; Musa.
Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Kolarov; Toure, Fernandinho; Navas, Silva, Milner; Aguero.
