“It doesn’t mean that if we finish top of the group, we’re going to have an easy draw”.
Advertisement
The Belgian is undoubtedly City’s best centre-back by quite a distance, but it is still abnormal to see a City defence so vulnerable in the absence of one player.
They fell behind in the 18 minute when Mario Mandzukic beat Joe Hart after turning in a superb cross from Alex Sandro.
Over the last few years the world of football has been witness to a Manchester City side that has been exceptional in the Premier League, but when it came to the Champions League, they have been anything but that.
Juventus can join them in the knockout stages with a victory and a defeat would even be sufficient if Sevilla fail to overcome Borussia Monchengladbach in their match.
“It is important for us to have important achievements”.
“There were chances for both sides”, Allegri said.
There was more bad injury news for City when Pellegrini confirmed that skipper Vincent Kompany faces two more weeks out with a calf injury but David Silva could return on Saturday.
Hart produced a brilliant save to keep City in the game on 28 minutes when he parried a Mandzukic effort wide of the bottom corner after the Juve man got on the end of a Stephan Lichtsteiner knockdown just inside the area.
“Games turn out differently, especially in the Champions League, and you need a back-up plan at times”.
“Manchester City is a team full of great champions”.
A further win at Juventus Stadium would seal top spot in Group D but City head into the match under a cloud, having been dismantled 4-1 by Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
“It was a odd and fake game that we played, and that is the past”.
City are a point ahead of the Italian side in Group D with two games to play. This match also provides another chance for City to cast their eye over Paul Pogba, with whom they have been heavily linked in recent times.
Advertisement
And with Barca, Bayern and Madrid already guaranteed top spot, City look to be heading for another deadly encounter in the last 16, after falling to Lionel Mssi and Co for the last two seasons. For us, the target is to finish first and get a kind draw in the Round of 16 and then continue onwards because it’s a target to get as far as we can in this competition. “That’s why I was not so unhappy with the way we played because we didn’t have many chances to make substitutions and had to take Sergio Agüero out after 65 minutes”.
