City Can Still Top Group, Says Pellegrini

Marchisio added “When these things happen and they come to the next match, in the Champions League in this case, they probably want a backlash and want to react”.

City have fared badly – twice being drawn against Barcelona – after finishing as group runners-up in the past but Pellegrini looked on the positive side after the loss in Italy. Juventus are keen on moving into the final 16 as the Group D leaders, but that might not mean that they get an easier draw.

They have very good players who can collaborate together, while in the City I see only top players, who win against weak teams but with the top clubs, they lose. “That would be a big step forward”.

With their place in the knockout phase already secured with two games to spare, they can clinch first place with victory in Turin on Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the group, Borussia Monchengladbach ended Sevilla’s slim chances of qualification with an absorbing 4-2 win in Germany. Pellegrini will no doubt be anxious to get his skipper back to fitness, but the Belgian is likely to miss at least a couple more weeks.

Juventus completed a double over the English Premier League side, who had already qualified from Group D after winning their previous three games.

The key, as everyone at the club knows, is the fitness of Sergio Aguero.

“I made the decision to field Mandzukic a couple of days ago, we needed a player with his characteristics”, Allegri said in a touchline television interview.

“He has been carrying some problem in his back the last week, so tomorrow we will see with the doctor which is the problem with Joe”.

City enjoyed some decent possession but failed to generate any real chances, while at the other end Hart bravely saved at the feet of Lichtsteiner after he surged into the right side of the box on 42 minutes. It was a 50-50 game and we had more chances than them.

Juventus, who deployed a 3-5-2 amid injury concerns of their own, survived an early scare when Fernandinho fired just wide of Gianluigi Buffon’s post after Kevin De Bruyne fire a cross into the area from the right.

“We don’t have the team that we need but we need to wait until the last game because we can still win the group”.

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.