Manchester City FC 
vs SSC Napoli 
Wednesday 14th September 2011, 19.45 BST
In 1968, as Manchester City prepared to enter Europe’s premier competition for the first time, Malcolm Allison pronounced that they would “terrify the cowards of Europe”.
As everyone knows, the cowardly custards of Fenerbahce then sent City packing in the first round with bold predictions suitably made to look very silly and City have been absent from the UEFA’s top tier ever since.
So it is not without reason that Roberto Mancini, as incumbent in one of the traditional hot seats of football, exercised a little more restraint in his own comments in the run up to this most eagerly anticipated of games.
In his follow-up to City’s most recent display of the most scintillating football I have had the delight, bemusement and head shaking awe to watch in my 36 years of being “condemned” to follow the club Mancini sounded a touch of more realistic caution as he noted (in relation to City’s “Group of Death”) that: “It is so strong that there is a chance we could finish top and a chance we could finish in fourth position. The aim for us will be to qualify for the second stage. The Champions League is a difficult competition. You can have a top team, but you also need luck.”
Luck Manchester City will most certainly require as they embark on 6 home and away fixtures against two seemingly perennial Champion’s League clubs in Bayern Munich and Villareal and the recently resurgent Napoli who are first up at the Etihad Stadium.
That said, the reaction of Bayern’s Franck Ribery (captured in all its glory on youtube) as he learned that his Allianz Arena-based side had been drawn with City tells you all that needs to be said about Manchester City’s new status in world football.
The fact that Ribery’s “oohhh non, non….Manchester City” came at the date of the draw and only after City had dispatched of new boys Swansea and then Bolton….(ie. before 5 goals past Spurs at White Hart Lane and Aguero’s most recent hat-trick as Wigan were sent packing 3-0 to take the Blues to joint first in the PL after 4 games) really does help to illustrate the fact that none of our three opponents will likely be approaching the matches with City anticipating anything remotely like an easy task.
City have started the season in quite majestic form so far. Although last season’s “uber-caution” was a reality in certain games (notably against United and Arsenal) all of those who follow City know full well that many of the signs as to what this team might have been capable of were well on the way to being there last season.
The summer transfer window saw the arrivals of top quality improvements in Aguero, Nasri and Clichy in addition to the blossoming of Edin Dzeko into just the player we’d all seen in the Bundesliga and one who looks like he will give the PL’s centre halves some sleepless nights. This pure quality has been augmented by the continued excellence of David Silva, the retention of last season’s top scorer in Tevez and the splendid early season form from the likes of Barry, Milner, Richards, Hart and the rest of the “solid” framework of our team.
The fact that De Jong has been largely absent through injury, Yaya Toure has yet to really look like he’s hit his stride and the likes of Johnson, Balotelli, Kolarov, Zabaleta, Hargreaves, Savic and a plethora of what look to be hugely promising youngsters all lurk in the wings ready to play their part make this the most mouthwatering of seasons to come.
First up though City have to deal with the genuine threats that will be served up by Wednesday’s visitors from Naples.
Mancini has himself linked City with a number of Napoli’s star players over the last year or so and had this to say about our opponent’s main threats “I like Cavani. He is a fantastic striker who works for the team. But they also have Lavezzi, Pandev and Hamsik – and those players are very dangerous.”
For several reasons there is a fair amount of common ground between Wednesday’s two opponents. Like City, Napoli are a side enjoying a resurgence; declared bankrupt in 2004 they were relegated to Italy’s third tier and have slowly climbed back to the upper reaches of Italy’s top division.
Like City Napoli have previously enjoyed a fabulous Indian Summer, theirs came in the 1980’s when the signing of Diego Maradona led to a spell of two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup.
And that brings us onto the other tantalizing link between the two sides who play in sky blue….the father/son-in-law relationship between Naples’ favourite adopted Argentine and Manchester’s newest hero from Quilmes. Quite who Diego Maradona will be cheering on is anyone’s guess but that connection between the two clubs is just another element of interest and intrigue to this long awaited European night in the righteous blue half of Manchester.
In previous seasons the absences of both Nigel De Jong and Gareth Barry would have given Mancini some cause for concern but the availability of both Yaya and James Milner (supported by the very promising Abdul Razak who looked very much at ease in his cameo against Wigan) should mean that the shape of the team doesn’t lose much in the way of rigidity against our Italian opponents.
As David Platt commented in a recent interview, one of the most encouraging elements of City’s early season form has been not the attacking verve with which the team has gone about their business but the industry, graft and discipline that every single player has shown in digging in and working to win back the ball and keep the shape of the side when not in possession. The sight of the elfin David Silva racing back into his own half to dispossess the opposition is representative of the desire and workrate being put in by every player in sky blue.
The back line of has been superbly marshaled by Kompany and Lescott is now properly looking like the player we fought so hard to prise from Everton’s grasp. Micah Richards continue his massively impressive resurgence and actually looks like he’s in the best form of his career right now. Clichy has brought pace, dynamism and a fantastic left sided outlet that has been beautifully fed by both Silva and Nasri at points. Both Aleks Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta can think themselves very unlucky to be sitting the action out at present but their time will come this season. The rearguard will have their work cut out against the handful that is Edison Cavani but they should be up to the task
The question of how we will line up in the offensive third of the pitch is tantalizing. It would seem likely that the “front 4” will be the dazzling, in form, quartet of Silva, Nasri, Aguero and Dzeko with the likes of Johnson, Balotelli and Carlos Tevez being held back in case we need to make further impact on the game.
Napoli do represent quite a challenge for this first outing but City should concentrate on playing their game and aim to impose themselves on the Neopolitans. Napoli, under Walter Mazzarri, usually line up in a 3:4:2:1 formation which is not dissimilar to the idea that Mancini seems to have recently been toying with. Goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis marshalls a back three made up of (Paolo not Fabio) Cannavaro, Aronica and Dossena.
The weekend just past against not the strongest opponents in new boys Cesena and the starting Xi is almost certainly not the team that will take the field on Wednesday. A midfield quartet of Campagnaro, Maggio, Inler and Dzemaili sat behind a slightly makeshift front three of Mario Santana and Ezequiel Lavezzi (who was returning from injury) roaming behind Edison Cavani. Hamsik came off the bench after 60 minutes and made his impact with a goal 3 minutes from time.
Napoli ran out 3-1 winners away from home at Cesena with goals from Lavezzi, Campagnaro and Hamsik but we should probably read as much into that result as our own drubbing of newly promoted Swansea. Only one game played in Serie A so far and Napoli were one of 6 teams to win their opening fixture.
However, the fact that our visitors only have one competitive fixture under their belts so far likely works in City’s favour. Three points at home will be needed in every single one of the three Etihad legs and Mancini’s European pedigree will now be a massive asset to the club. Although this is City’s Champion’s league debut, the whole squad contains extensive experience at this level so we should be more than able to make the step up.
I, for one, cannot wait for Wednesday night!
Manchester City:4:1:3:2 Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Milner, Silva, Yaya, Nasri, Aguero, Dzeko
Napoli: 3:4:2:1 De Sanctis, Cannavaro, Aronica, Dossena, Campagnaro, Maggio, Inler, Dzemaili, Hamsik, Lavezzi, Cavani
Key players
Manchester City: David Silva
Described in Monday’s Independent as “the Premier League’s supreme player in the campaign to date” the magician from Gran Canaria is the heartbeat of this pulsating Manchester City side. Industrious, brave and blessed with incredible skill and vision many are lauding him as potentially one of the best players ever to have pulled on a Manchester City shirt. Unburdened somewhat this season from the need to create everything by the arrival of Nasri and Aguero and the blossoming understanding between the whole team he looks to be moving to an even higher level of performance. If Napoli stop Silva they won’t stop City but the question remains….how can you stop Silva?
Napoli: Edison Cavani
Napoli’s big, powerful Uruguayan centre forward will look to provide a focus and outlet for Napoli in a similar fashion to how Dzeko has operated this season. By April last year the deeply religious South American had scored more than half of Napoli’s league goals so to say he is a key player might be somewhat of an understatement. The craft and skill of Hamsik and Lavezzi cannot be discounted but it is Cavani and the physical questions he will pose of Lescott (and to a lesser extent Kompany) who is surely the danger man of whom City must be wary.
Prediction:
Manchester City FC 2
SSC Napoli 0
A big thanks to Ant London of www.mancityfans.net for writing this first Champions League Match Preview