Daniele De Rossi v Frank Lampard
Following the example of his captain, De Rossi is a one-club man himself and an old fashioned, pit-bull of a midfielder. Good with the ball but also loves to crash into tackles and steal possession, he has to be one of the finest central midfielders in Europe.
But in Frank Lampard, De Rossi comes up against a man who’s seen it all and done it all and who won’t fear a fight with the Italian. Despite a lack of starts and just a flurry of substitute appearances since he signed for City, Lampard has proved to still be every bit of the player he was scoring a vital goal against Chelsea and securing victory against Southampton when his side were down to 10 men.
The competition between the two tonight could be something special.