Porto V Manchester City: 6 Key Battles to Look for in Europa League Tie

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Manchester City fans could be forgiven for thinking they were past Thursday night European football.

Unfortunately, they were put into a genuine group of death in the UEFA Champions League maiden campaign and have dropped out at the expense of Napoli.

The Citizens then got drawn against one of the toughest oppositions in the UEFA Europa League and face a really difficult game at the Estadio do Dragao this Thursday against FC Porto.

View the slideshow for six key matchups that could decide the battle.

Premier League vs. Europa League

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The first major decision Roberto Mancini must make is whether he cares about this competition.

In his latest statement, the Italian tactician spoke about the importance he will place on the competition, his desire to win it and how doing so would be a ''big step'' for Manchester City.

The bottom line is, there's no way of knowing whether that's true until we see the starting 11 he fields at Estadio do Dragao.

If Mancini wins the Europa League but fails in the title race, will his job be secure? Probably not. What about the other way around? He'll get a new contract.

Home Form vs. Away Form

EuroFootball/Getty Images

FC Porto have lost just one game at home, a 2-1 reversal to Nacional in the Taca da Liga cup.

Since December, Manchester City have found their travels a bit tougher than usual. They are a respected and feared team now, so opposition forces are frequently ''parking the bus'' against them.

They've come out losers against Sunderland, Everton and Chelsea in the league, and fell to both Napoli and Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

The Incredible Hulk vs. Gael Clichy

Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

Hulk is playing well and looking dangerous.

Coming in off the left- or right-hand side, he's capable of scoring anywhere within 30 yards of the goal.

My exact thoughts on him can be found here, where you can watch him in action.

Whoever starts as Manchester Ciy's left-back, my guess is Gael Clichy, will need to be mindful of affording Hulk any space at all and try to pin him to the sideline.

Clichy is better equipped to deal with Hulk than Aleksander Kolarov is due to his rapid pace in recovery.

Porto's Potent Left Side vs. Micah Richards

Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Micah Richards will be fresh and ready for this game after spending Sunday afternoon on the bench at Villa Park.

He'll need those fresh legs too, as Port's left side is one of the best attacking flanks in world football.

James Rodriguez has been a goal machine on the left wing this season, and Uruguay star Alvaro Pereira frequently bombs forward on the left flank.

With these two on the left and Hulk on the right, Manchester City's full-backs will have their work cut out.

Rolando vs. Edin Dzeko

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

If there's one area of the FC Porto squad that's not either star-studded or brimming with young potential, it's central defence.

Rolando is the most experienced member of the central defensive unit for the Portuguese giants, and stopping Manchester City's lone striker will be his task.

Whoever starts up front for Manchester City, I'm hazarding a guess with Edin Dzeko, will need to have a big impact on the game, control the ball and slow up the pace.

FC Porto play a very quick game. And if the trip comes too soon for Yaya Toure, Dzeko will be the man who controls how quickly or slowly Manchester City want to play.

Joao Moutinho vs. Gareth Barry/Nigel De Jong

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

As always, the midfield battle will be very important in deciding the outcome of the game.

Joao Moutinho pulls the strings in the FC Porto midfield and plays a neat and tidy game. He's good on the ball and excels from a positional point of view.

It will be Moutinho who looks to spread the ball to the wings and introduce the play of Alvaro Pereira, Hulk and James Rodriguez.

Shackle Moutinho and you shackle FC Porto. Step forward Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong, who will likely turn out in holding midfield after a good performance against Aston Villa.

Please follow me on twitter for world football & nfl articles: (@stighefootball)