UEFA Champions League Group Match
Manchester City v Villarreal
October 18, 2011 KO 7.45 PM, Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Landscape
Manchester City play host to the Yellow Submarine in Manchester this evening as both teams try to get unstuck and move their CL fortunes into the positive direction it needs to go if either have any hope of moving out of the group stages.
The two teams, while bonded by their poor Champions League form, strike a contrast in their domestic embattlements with City sitting top of the table looking down at their rivals from Salford while Villareal remain early strugglers in the bottom half of the La Liga table after a neat 4th place finish last season.
What is a must-win match for both teams should create interesting drama given City’s reputation for not making things easy in their European efforst this campaign. In both previous matches, City unleashed enough firepower early to grab a lead and find a way to cruise to victory, yet in both cases, against top class opposition, City were shown that talent alone couldn’t unseat a proper setup from solid, well-managed, experienced teams. City, playing in the Champions League competition format for the first time since its inception, has essentially taken a masterclass from two very good teams. What will they have learned from those clashes? Can they shake the cobwebs of Carlos Tevez’s truly amazing insult of refusing to come on for the last 20 minutes of their CL clash against Bayern Munich or will this provide one more European insult in the face of what is proposing to be a glorious domestic season for City?
Villareal on the other hand has not shown any inkling of serious competitiveness just yet. No better time than the present for them this evening, as both clubs futures in the competition absolutely rest on nailing all 3 points from this match. It should create a frenzied European night in East Manchester as both teams fight for their lives.
Recent Form
City has earned 1 point from their draw with Napoli at the Etihad last month, and were schooled in Germany by Bayern Munich a fortnight later, leaving them on 1 pt in 3rd place in the Group.
Villareal has lost both matches to Bayern Munich and Napoli and sit at the foot of the Group with 0 pts.
At the weekend, both clubs results perhaps foretell what we will see this evening – City tonking previously unbeaten Aston Villa 4-1 to go top of the Premier League, while Villareal struggled in a floundering, scoreless draw with Getafe.
Key Men
Tonight is a match made for strikers. Score some goals, move your team along. Which will step up and find the back of the net to propel their team forward and which will fail and watch their team crumble?
Villarreal
Giuseppe Rossi
The American-born, Filth-bought and sold, Italia-allegiant striker represents the key danger for City. Expect him to flash some moments of brilliance, and create some truly hairy moments for City at times. Ultimately, will City be caught with their pants down by Guiseppi or will they stand firm and impose their will on the young striker?
Manchester City
Edin Dzeko
Edin comes off of a frenetic international campaign in which he found the net last week against City teammate Samir Nasri’s French side with a truly cracking goal. His form this season has been what City fans hoped for, though some still dispute his “arrival” based on some lukewarm performances of late. Regardless of the fickle nature of football fans, Dzeko’s ability to control the ball, find space and teammates will create chances for City. And his finishing ability with head and feet should provide the firepower City will need in this match to crack it open.
Prediction
Manchester City 3 -1 Villareal
City will prove too too much for the Yellow Submarine in a match that ends up closer than the final scoreline will reflect.
A big thanks to DoomMerchant of www.mancityfans.net for this great preview