Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini eyes champions League Group D top spot in bid to avoid European heavyweights
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has highlighted the significance of his injury-hit side sealing top spot in their Champions League group when they face Italian rivals Juventus in Turin on Wednesday night.
City have already secured their place in the Champions League knockout stages, although the focus has turned to finishing at the Group D summit and avoiding European heavyweights such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the last-16.
“It is important to win as it would be the first time City finished top of the group. It’s important for the players and fans,” said Pellegrini. “But Juventus have a very strong side, that’s why they won four straight titles and reached last year’s Champions League final.”
City are without a clutch of players – skipper Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, David Silva and Wilfried Bony – due to injury as they bid to bounce back from Saturday’s 4-1 Premier League humbling at the hands of Liverpool.
Pellegrini added: “We finished Saturday’s very bad game on Sunday morning, now we are thinking about a different competition, a different game.”