Nedum Onuoha is convinced that City can upset the odds and mount a comeback against Hamburg that will propel them in to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. The talented defender, an ever-present for the Blues since the start of the year, is all set for the tie where the Blues are looking for a 2-0 win to bring last week’s away goal into play.
The game will take place in front of a sell-out crowd and, with the promise of a crackling atmosphere, the 22-year-old says the squad are relishing the task ahead of them.
He says, “We can rise to the occasion, with the squad we have we are ambitious and we are very confident people as well. I know we didn’t have the best of games last weekend, but at home we fancy ourselves. It does not matter who comes here, we always believe we can get a positive result and that goes right the way through the squad.
“Everyone knows what they have to do, we know what we need to do, and we hope that will see us through.”
City’s European odyssey began in the unlikely setting of the Faroe Islands on 17th July last year, and Nedum started that match in a Blues line-up much changed between then and now. Tonight will be the 16th match of the UEFA Cup campaign, but even with the European and domestic games coming thick and fast, Nedum insists tiredness is not an issue for him.
“I’m not tired, I am enjoying every game and some of us have been playing since the second week in July. With the conditioning teams we have here now everybody is as ready as they can be going into a big game. Yes, we have played a lot of games but I think we have it in us to play a lot more and I hope we can take it all the way to the final.”
Last Thursday’s game saw Nedum and his fellow defenders subjected to a bombardment from Martin Jol’s side to the tune of 17 corners, and he is all set for something similar tonight.
“Most teams are dangerous from set-pieces, and Hamburg were especially. They are quite a big side, we’ll have to match them physically one-on-one in the individual battles. If we do that that we shouldn’t be conceding from set-pieces, but there were individual mistakes at the weekend. They are not things you can legislate for, and it does not happen in every game.”
