City must believe they can win the Champions League – Hart

Pellegrini later complained: “They scored a goal which I think was a foul before Mandzukic finished but the referee didn’t blow the whistle”.

Since 2011-12 season, when City qualified for the Champions League for the first time, they have been knocked out twice in the group stages and have been eliminated in the last 16 by Spanish side Barcelona in the previous two seasons.

“What’s important is that we won”. “We didn’t play well and Liverpool played well”.

Moreso, City want a positive result to forget their most recent performance. We have two spare games to try to win the group. Man City suffered a 1-4 defeat against Liverpool in their last game.

City were guilty of having spurned a number of good chances in Wednesday’s game and Toure also says the visitors could have clinched at least a point had they been more ruthless in front of goal.

Mandzukic was later denied a second by a fine Hart save and Paulo Dybala hit the post but City also had numerous other chances in an entertaining contest.

Topping the group ahead of the beaten finalists from last season would be a clear sign of progression and increased maturity in Europe for Manuel Pellegrini’s team, but for Hart it would be nothing more than planting a flag at base camp. There’s no time for feeling sorry for yourself, especially when you’re in the Champions League or title race.

Mario Mandzukic: Took his goal well and had a powerful volley saved by Hart, before he was forced off with an injury early in the second half. “We hope that we will not lose him but if for some reason he can not play on Saturday I have a lot of trust in (back-up keeper) Willy Caballero”. “If he can play all the games it is better for us”.

“It is a very hard game they must play away”. We had the first chance – Fernandinho – to score, but we didn’t.

City are already through to the last 16 but passed up the opportunity to seal top spot in Group D and a seeded place in the draw – a benefit now set to be enjoyed by the Italian champions thanks to Mandzukic’s 18th-minute strike.

The Bianconeri have risen up the Serie A table of late with three consecutive victories seeing them enter tomorrow’s match in a strong vein of form, but the Tuscan tactician has stressed that his charges have yet to achieve anything in this year’s Champions League and urged the supporters to help cheer them over the white line.

Avoiding the Catalans again would give City a boost and Pellegrini has called for a win on Wednesday that would both secure first place and test City’s mettle against an established European side away from home.

If the 28-year-old misses the weekend clash with Southampton, he would join an injury list that now includes Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Pablo Zabaleta, Wilfried Bony, Samir Nasri and Eliaquim Mangala.