With City having gone just ahead of the Reds in the race for a place in the Champions League with the draw at Stoke on Tuesday, there is much at stake when Rafa Benitez’s men travel along the M62 at the weekend.
City are a point ahead and have a game in hand, so a win for the Blues would give them the upper hand going into the last part of the Barclays Premier League campaign.
The Manager thinks that the pressure is all on the visitors, and he said: “We want to win and so do they, so it will be difficult but more so for them. We are above them and they have to try to get past us. We have to be positive, if we can win, will go further ahead of them so that’s what we must try to do.
We’re in a good position with 13 games to go and I hope that Sunday is a fantastic game for our supporters.
...Roberto Mancini...
Despite the likely absence of goal machine Fernando Torres, City’s manager is respectful of the squad that his opposite number will be able to choose from.
“Yes, Torres and Gerrard are great players,” he continues, “but they have Carragher, Kuyt, Mascherano, Reina as well, that’s not a bad squad to pick from. Gerrard is really respected throughout Europe, he has everything you would want in a player and we know we will have to work hard to deal with him.
“They are a good side, with some good players and a good manager that have lots of experience from many years in the Champions League and being near the top in England. Right now they have some players out injured but it will still be tough for us because they have a lot of strengths.”
