Manchester City Must Build on Derby with Statement Win over CSKA Moscow

There can be few who disagree that Manchester City’s Champions League form falls someway short of their domestic performances. Two league titles and two cups in the last four seasons have seen City rightly considered an elite side in English football, yet their European results have been patchy, at best.

Last season, they qualified from their group with 15 points—a credible group-stage effort that had appeared to blow away the disappointment of the two first-round exits under former boss Roberto Mancini. Their last-16 defeat to Barcelona, although somewhat insipid, was understandable given the quality and the experience they possess and the fact City played a large portion of the home leg with 10 men.

It was seen as huge progress.

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However, this season—so far at least—has seen regression. Two points from three games, including losing leads at home to Roma and away to CSKA Moscow, has put them in a difficult position to qualify, with poor, often disjointed football at the heart of their problems.

City need a big performance in a game that matters, and Wednesday’s match at home to CSKA provides them with the perfect opportunity. Their 2-2 draw in Moscow on Matchday 3, having been 2-0 up at half-time, hurt them badly.

They lost their next two—against West Ham United in the league and Newcastle United in the League Cup—but a 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday will have gone a long way in restoring some confidence.

And the match comes exactly a year to the day they beat the same opponents 5-2 at the Etihad. A repeat performance—coupled with a win for Bayern Munich at home to Roma—would see City move into pole position to qualify for the next round, despite their stuttering start to the campaign. Not just a win but one delivered in style is what they need to kick-start their European form.

Pellegrini believes it is a vital game but not a win-or-bust one: “I think it is a very important game but it is not a death game because until [it’s mathematically impossible], you can continue. But it is a very important game. We must win this game because we have just two points and we have three games to play and it is very important to have more points.

“We will consider it not a final game but a very, very important game.”

Meanwhile, City have sold out the Etihad for the game against Moscow having offered fans a "Buy One Get One Free” deal on tickets. City have struggled to create an atmosphere inside their stadium on Champions League nights, but the club have taken a fair approach to ticket prices in order to redress the problem.

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Fans of opposition clubs have looked to use it as a stick to beat City with, but with the price of football a drain on the finances of many supporters, it’s refreshing to see a club take an innovative approach to pricing.

Pellegrini believes it could make a big difference on Wednesday: “[It’s] very important because I think always the players feel the atmosphere is in the stadium. I think our fans will be behind our team because we can continue in the Champions League and it will be easier if we win tomorrow.

“Always, I said when we win a game here it is because everyone does their job: the manager, the players and the fans.”

With City potentially needing three wins from their final three games to qualify, which includes two games at home, their fans could prove crucial in their quest to make the last 16 for the second consecutive season.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.