Manchester City vs. Roma: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Manchester City will be looking to bounce back from a defeat in their opening Champions League game when they take on Roma at the Etihad Stadium.

The English champions were within seconds of a well-earned point against Bayern Munich on Matchday 1, but a Jerome Boateng strike broke City hearts in stoppage time. And with the German champions looking like the side best placed to qualify from the group stages, this match with the Giallorossi is vital.

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Roma were superb in their first Champions League clash, hammering CSKA Moscow 5-0. After starting their Serie A campaign with five consecutive victories, Rudi Garcia’s side will be looking to spring a surprise when they head to Manchester.

It’s a game that will be critical to each side’s qualification hopes, and to ensure you don’t miss a kick of what’ll be an engrossing 90 minutes, here’s all the information you need on where to catch the match on the box or via an online stream. 

Date: Sept. 30, 2014

Time: 7:45 p.m. (BST), 2:45 p.m. (ET) 

Live Stream: ITV Player (UK), Fox Soccer 2Go (US)

TV Info: ITV 1 (UK), Fox Sports 1 (US)

European Powerhouses Collide

Despite City’s loss to the 2013 European champions, there was a lot to like about the performance of Manuel Pellegrini’s side in the opening game at Bayern. They were very compact throughout in the face of a stellar attacking line-up, they defended well and overall were a little unlucky to concede from a deflected strike that came out of nothing.

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Joe Hart was excellent in the Allianz Arena for City, and despite Hart missing the last two games, Pellegrini has insisted the England international will take his place between the sticks for the visit of Roma, as noted here by City Watch:

Nonetheless, regardless of how encouraging the performance was in that first clash, a defeat has heaped the pressure onto City ahead of this match. In truth, it’s a game that the English champions dare not lose, especially with trips to Rome and Moscow still to come.

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But after a stuttering start to the season, City finally look as though they’re getting back into the swing of things, and they’ve scored 13 goals in their last three matches. Four of those have come courtesy of Frank Lampard, and it’ll be interesting to see if the veteran midfielder has impressed sufficiently to warrant a start against the Italians.

The former Chelsea man has scored goals for fun throughout his career and is closing in on another milestone, as noted here by OptaJoe:

Pellegrini would probably be wise to play his best XI for this one, for Roma will afford City an exceptionally strong test of their early-season credentials. The Giallorossi have won all five of their domestic fixtures this season, and their mauling of Moscow in their only European clash so far was a statement of major intent.

The Italians strengthened superbly in the transfer window during the summer; the subsequent positivity that’s gripped the club has manifested into a real swagger on the pitch. That was perhaps no more indicative than in their last Serie A match, when Mattia Destro scored a stunning goal against Verona, as noted here by Bleacher Report UK:

Roma are a team that mean business this season and, although they’re technically the fourth seeds in this group, Garcia’s side are definitely the most likely to challenge City and Bayern for a spot in the last 16.And although City have moved through the gears in their last two games, expect Roma to come to the Etihad with a shrewd game plan, one that should be enough to see them take a point back to the Italian capital.

With the likes of Destro, Gervinho and Juan Iturbe likely to line up in the Roma XI, they have sufficient firepower to get at a City back four that’s looked a little creaky this season.

By contrast, Roma have looked very tidy in defence themselves, that despite the loss of Mehdi Benatia to Bayern Munich. Admittedly, they don't come up against offensive lines of the calibre of City often in Serie A, and the home side also have plenty at the sharp end of the pitch to suggest they’ll bag a couple of goals here too.

Expect an intense and absorbing clash between two sides that looked very well matched at this stage of the season. There should be goals, but expect them to be shared between the two in a result that would delight the travelling Roma supporters. 

Prediction: Manchester City 2-2 AS Roma