please log in to view this image Manchester City welcome back midfielder Yaya Toure and defender Kolo Toure for their Europa League last-32 first-leg tie at holders Porto. The brothers, who have been playing in the African Cup of Nations, are due to join up with the squad on Wednesday. Striker Mario Balotelli may also play after serving a domestic suspension. However, fellow forward Carlos Tevez, who has returned from his self-imposed exile in Argentina, is not registered to play. It remains to be seen how quickly City manager Roberto Mancini, who is set to give a press conference in Portugal later on Wednesday, will attempt to reintegrate Tevez back into his squad. Tevez has said that he can be ready to play in two weeks. City do not have a game this weekend as they are no longer involved in the FA Cup, meaning that the next match after Thursday's match is next week's return leg against Porto at Etihad Stadium. Manchester City squad: Hart, Pantilimon, Richards, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Savic, K Toure, Clichy, Kolarov, Nasri, Milner, Johnson, Y Toure, Barry, De Jong, Pizarro, Silva, Aguero, Balotelli, Dzeko. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16959096
I would play: Hart Richards - Kompany - Lescott - Clichy Barry - Pizarro Nasri - Milner - Silva Balotelli We don't need to win the game tomorrow, and the team I've selected there should be very difficult for Porto to break down, and there's enough there for us to score one or two as well. A win would be great, but a score draw would also be pretty good. Yaya played on Sunday and will have travelled from Africa to Portugal, or maybe even Africa to England to Portugal so I'd rest him and play him next game.
Both Kolo and Yaya travelled straight from the A.C.N. tournament to Portugal. So if I where in RM'S shoes I would ask them if they are ready to play or not. Maybe the best solution is to put Yaya on the bench and bring him on straight after the half time break. I would keep Aguero on the bench and if we need him bring him on later in the game. This is a game where we need to be at our best, and need to be at it straight from the start of the game, and stop these slow starts in the game.
please log in to view this image Mario Balotelli told to behave by Roberto Mancini as Manchester City look to progress in Europa League Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, has warned his enigmatic striker Mario Balotelli to be on "good behaviour" following the completion of his four-match domestic suspension. With the striker having also served another one-match domestic suspension this season, as well as a three-game European one, Mancini is keen for him to settle down for the run-in after his apparent stamp on Tottenham's Scott Parker. However Balotelli will have to be on his guard when Manchester City play Porto on Thursday night in the Europa League. The Italian was dismissed for a kung-fu kick at Dynamo Kiev's Goran Popov, as City exited the Europa League last season. And it will be same referee who sent off Balotelli - Turkey's Cuneyt Cakir - who will be officiating in Porto. Mancini said: "I have spoken to Mario, two weeks ago. I said, 'Please, we have 13 games to play and the Europa League too - try to have good behaviour on the pitch and think only of playing football. "I think if his head is okay in the next two months, he will be an important player. "It's difficult to find a good definition for him. "We know that Mario is a fantastic player. He's young, sometimes he will do some mistakes but, for this reason, if he can keep his composure for the next months, he will be an important player for us, in the Europa League and the Premier League." Porto, last season's Europa League winners, have lost just once in their domestic league this season and are unbeaten at home in major competitions. Mancini added: "I think this is one of the big games at this stage because we play Porto, a top team who have played Champions League. "At home they are very strong, last year they won title. It will be a very hard game for this reason." http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/550583217?-1808
Manchester City 25 Hart 02 Richards 04 Kompany 06 Lescott 22 Clichy 18 Barry 19 Nasri 21 Silva 34 De Jong 42 Y Toure 45 Balotelli Substitutes 30 Pantilimon 05 Zabaleta 13 Kolarov 15 Savic 08 Pizarro 10 Dzeko 16 Aguero
Seems Mancini is taking this tournament very seriously with that line up. Or he could be selecting a strong side simply because we don't play in the league until the end of the month. Porto have some very good players in that side so this should be a close game.
Found it , Thursday night football it's normally Channel 5 , espn , itv 4 never thought it would be on itv
Tremendous performance tonight. Here's a question - how can someone who's built like Hulk spend so much of his time whimpering on the ground like a stranded jellyfish? Spineless beyond belief.
Sat waiting thinking i should put £40 on City at 1-1 to win at 11/2 and my arse collapsed. Still over the moon we won.
That was a great performance and a great win. Porto have a brilliant home record so even a score draw would have been pretty good but to get 2 away goals and a lead is excellent. We play so much better with Yaya in the side, he is brilliant. Lescott was incredible in defence too. Ref was handing out yellow cards for fun though. Not sure what he was playing at really. Very good game to watch, could easily have been a CL tie very high quality. Have to expect us to qualify now but we'll see!
One of the best games I have watched in ages and a great result. To think we were linked with hulk not so long ago, if that's how he plays every game i hope he stays where he is,
Good performance from the boys. All we need is to keep a clear head and defend well. Shooting wise the best there has been all season every shot on target, don't remember any going of the mark. After all they now need to score 2 to stand a chance of going through. The same performance next week and we should go through without any problem. At least we now have awek to prepare for the 2nd leg unlike Porto who have agame this weekend. Who knows maybe being knocked out of the F.A. Cup might not have been a bad thing, if we can go on and win the Europa Cup.
