For a side that has never progressed significantly in the Champions League knockout stages, they should be more aggressive about winning their group and stacking the odds in their favour. “We could have doubled our lead, then immediately after they could have pulled level”, said the Italian.
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This year it’s important to finish as top of the group but if we could win tomorrow it would be especially important as it’s a test for us to win tomorrow in a hard stadium against a strong team.
Speaking to the media after the game, Pellegrini said, “Both teams played well and we were unlucky to lose this game. That would be a big step forward”. Sevilla must win that game if they want to continue in the Europa League.
“Joe Hart played well, saved two or more goals”.
The Citizens were whipped 4-1 by Liverpool in their last league game at the weekend.
Nevertheless, this is a squad so riddled with injuries that City will have difficulty filling their bench for tonight’s game.
Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Eliaquim Mangala, Pablo Zabaleta, Samir Nasri and Wilfried Bony were already on the injury list.
The key, as everyone at the club knows, is the fitness of Sergio Aguero.
“I think we are quite disappointed”.
The City manager did say though, that he was quite pleased with his side’s performance in this season’s Champions League campaign so far, especially pointing out the performance against Sevilla in the last match. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri watched City’s performance and said the hosts would “try to capitalise on City’s weak points”.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side began brightly and Fernandinho went close with a fierce low drive in the fifth minute after Juventus could only clear a corner straight to the Brazilian midfielder.
A draw would probably have been good enough as they face Borussia Monchengladbach in their final group game next month.
In Mandzukic and Morata, Juventus have two excellent strikers that are capable of tormenting any team in Europe, so cutting off the service to them will be important to City’s chances here.
But with just eight minutes left in the fixture, Hart was forced off with a suspected hamstring problem after a save to deny Alvaro Morata. “It was a close game, they won the game but we didn’t deserve to lose that game”.
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“I am not so unhappy in the way we played because we didn’t have many chances to make substitutions”.
