City must win in the Italian capital to stand any chance of qualifying.
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City may have failed to get the sums right in last season’s Champions League group stage but the arithmetic is plain and simple this season. Win or get a score-draw and hope Bayern can hold or defeat CSKA Moscow.
Last season, with City leading 3-2 against Bayern Munich, boss Manuel Pellegrini substituted Sergio Aguero when all was needed was one more goal. A goal that would have seen them finish top, avoid Barcelona and who knows what else might have happened in the competition?
This year, City have to get some kind of a result if they want any chance of getting through to the last 16. CaughtOffside take a look at the key battles of this match and just how City’s line-up is going to fare when it racks up in Rome.
Vincent Kompany v Francesco Totti
It only takes one chance, which Totti so beautifully proved as he beautifully scooped the ball over Joe Hart to equalise for Roma in the side’s 1-1 draw in September. The King of Rome might be 38 but the Italian veteran is a battle-hardened gladiator after years plugging away on the forward line.
Vincent Kompany will certainly have to be aware of the Totti-factor and knows the forward kills with his genius, not speed or strength, and any big mistake could lead to a goal from the maestro.
City will be sweating on their captain’s fitness right up until kick-off, despite training with the rest team yesterday, and have to hope their talisman is fit if they are have any chance of winning the fight for qualification in the gladiatorial setting of the Stadio Olimpico.
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.
Gervinho v Pablo Zabaleta
Since his disastrous time at Arsenal came to an end two years ago, Gervinho has looked every bit of the player he was before his calamitous move to North London in 2011 from Lille.
Where he was weak, broody and lacking in goals at Arsenal he’s now almost the exact opposite for Roma scoring five goals and four assists this season. Gervinho is dangerous because he’s unpredictable and whilst he can look completely unstoppable one week, the next he’s missing glorious opportunities like against Bayern Munich.
Zabaleta will have to be on his toes to try and contain such a vivacious player but will be steeled knowing he managed to keep the Ivorian winger quiet when the two teams played at the Etihad.
The Argentine has to be one of the best right backs in the world and as well as being so solid defensively has the ability to get forward and wreak havoc as his goal against Sunderland recently showed. And whilst Gervinho loves to get forward he has a tendency to be slack in his defensive duties which a full back of Zabaleta’s experience will take to his full advantage.
Edin Dzeko v Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa
Look through the Bosnian’s record and Dzeko always seems to score the big goals for Manchester City. He might not be the most reliable or consistent on a weekly basis but Dzeko has a knack for scoring the decisive goals – just look at last season’s winners against Crystal Palace and Everton in the title run-in to keep City’s pressure up before Liverpool’s spectacular collapse.
With Sergio Aguero confirmed as out for up to 6 weeks, City are going to have to look to Dzeko in future weeks to continue their title challenge revival. But first City will be hoping tonight is another one of those nights when Dzeko turns saviour once again.
He might have just come back from injury and admitted he lacks full match fitness but he will be up against a centre-back, in Yanga-Mbiwa, who has hardly looked the most robust in Roma’s previous five group games, always looking on the cusp of a booking or mistake.
The defender has history against City, however, conceding four to them in his debut last season for Newcastle. Dzeko will be hoping he can add to the young centre-backs Manchester nightmares tonight.