Viktoria Plzen 0 - 3 Manchester City

VIKTORIA PLZEN 0 - 3 MANCHESTER CITY
                                                                          Dzeko 48', Yaya Toure 53', Aguero 58'


Delight at the Doosan as Manuel's minions make first ever winning start to Champions League campaign.

The blues, sporting their lavishly luscious new third kit, began the half in the sluggish Skoda style of the motor that has made the quiet little city so recognisable.  

Professor Pellegrini's pupils enjoyed a wealth of possession early on but looked vulnerable and lethargic whenever the home side unleashed a quirky counter-attack. The return of Vincent Kompany combined with a weeks worth of Pilsner Urquell undeniably settled the 800 away fans, but the Belgian almost gifted Plzen the opener with a hospital ball back to Joe Hart.


Vincent Kompany made a return as captain last night.

City were expected to be the big fish in the tiny Plzen pond, but the Czech minnows appeared unafraid and buoyant as they began to enjoy their football. The blues could have gone into the break three goals to the good, but chances squandered by Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero and Jesus Navas ensured Manuel Pellegrini would be raising his calm voice at half time. 

Wise words were indubitably spoken at the break as the South American's students flew out of the blocks like a feral Ferrari. Sergio Aguero showed great strength to hold off Lukas Hejda and squared a precise ball into Edin Dzeko on 48 minutes to slot home the opener. 

An injection of pace had been administered into the away side. Fernandinho quietly controlled the midfield and allowed Yaya Toure to press into the attacking position he so suavely thrives in. On 53 minutes the giant Ivorian curved a wicked strike into the top right hand corner of Kozacik's net; an early contender for goal of the tournament. 


Yaya Toure lines up his 25-yard wonder strike to put his side 2-0 up

The floodgates had opened and man of the match Sergio Aguero was not going to miss out on the goalscoring action. Just five minutes the later, the Argentine swiveled to plant a fine left footed finish into the bottom corner. 

City's destructive side was showing and a solid statement was sent out to the European elite shrugging a leisurely shoulder at the prospect of Manchester City troubling them in later rounds. 

It was paradise in Plzen for Pellegrini and co. and an encouraging warm-up for Sunday's Manchester derby.

David Silva is in contention for a starting place and with the wizard and our Belgian rock back in the side, the omens look good for another derby thrashing. 

The blues are back. 

Player Ratings
 Joe Hart 7
Showed brilliant agility and awareness to save Kompany's blushes and looked confident all night.

 Pablo Zabaleta 6.5
Excellent block from Kovarik's shot although he knew nothing about it. Still looks a little uncomfortable playing behind Navas though.

 Matija Nastasic 7
A comfortable performance aided by the return of his favourite defensive partner.

 Vincent Kompany 8
You can never understimate the captains influence and it's no surprise that we recorded another clean sheet with him in the team yesterday. One hospital ball could have ruined his night but overall, a commanding performance from the Belgian.

 Aleksandar Kolarov 6
An early booking left the Serbian treading egg shells all game. Nearly scored with a follow up but faded out the game whilst trying to avoid a second yellow.


 Jesus Navas 6.5
Was an early bright spark for City but quietened as the game progressed. Still too narrow in my opinion and needs to hug the touchline more.

 Fernandinho 6.5
Struggled in the first half but controlled in the second. Himself and Yaya still need to adapt to each other's styles.
 Yaya Toure 8
A dominant performance in a game where his powerful presence was crucial. Scored an absolute worldie. 

 Samir Nasri 7.5
Led City's creative play with confidence and the class we all know he has was on show. More of the same, please!

 Sergio Aguero 8
Magical performance from the South American who could have bagged a hat-trick. 

 Edin Dzeko 6.5
Scored, but missed a wonderful chance in the first half from a Kolarov cross.

Viktoria Plzen v Manchester City

                                                         

Preview
A sour Saturday saw City singing the Britannia blues, but now it's time for paradise in Plzen.

A boozy Tuesday lies in store for 800 lucky City fans who will be delighted to learn that the Doosan Arena (Plzen's 11,700 capacity stadium) is connected to the country's biggest brewery!

Pints may cost less than a pound, but Pellegrini's men will be intoxicated only by a fearsome desire to beat away their blemish in the Britannia and prove to Europe that they can compete at the highest level. 

The Chilean's record in the Champions League is something to be admired and a bullet point on the CV that will have lit up the eyes of Sheik Mansour. Against all odds, Pellegrini led Spanish underdogs Villarreal to the semi-finals of the competition in 2005 and was desperately unlucky to achieve the same feat last season with Malaga. Can his experience in the tournament remedy the Champions League wounds inflicted on his new side in the last two seasons? We'll have to wait and see.

Standing in our way are Czech minnows, Viktoria Plzen. The Gambrinus Liga Champions and current table toppers were cruelly evicted in the last 16 last year by Fenerbache. 'Viktorka' have a dismally difficult group to conquer this time round with holders Bayern Munich and Russian champions CSKA Moscow completing Group D.

It's a must win for the blues who are desperate for a boost ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby. It's the toughest 'league' of them all and it's time to cement our place in the scaffolding of the European elite. 

Pellegrini, let's have some pleasure in Plzen... please!

0-2

Line-Up
With Sunday's enormous tie with Manchester United malevolently looming, the gaffer may be tempted into resting some of the big guns. Gael Clichy, Micah Richards and David Silva have not travelled to Prague, but skipper Vincent Kompany has boarded the plane. 

Vincent Kompany is in contention for a starting place on Tuesday night

The Belgian may be available, but it's likely he'll be rested in preparation for Sunday. Edin Dzeko could start after warming the bench on Saturday and Stevan Jovetic is expected to make his second start for the club. 

Key Men

Stanislav Tecl
The new signing's impressive record of 1 goal in every two matches will be called upon during the group stages if Plzen are to cause an upset in Group D. 


Yaya Toure
His Champions League experience and sheer strength should be too much for Plzen and Pellegrini will be expecting the big Ivorian to control the game.

Scout Report: Adam Maher

In a new feature for the blog, I have teamed up with Dutch football expert Luuk Manse (@Officialluuk) who will be compiling a number of scout reports on the biggest and best talent from the Eredivisie. 

This month, it's PSV Eindhoven's
Adam Maher

Full Name: Adam Maher
DOB: 20/07/1993 (20)
Place of Birth: Ait Izzou, Morocco
Height: 5ft 9inches
Position: Central Midfielder
Current club: PSV Eindhoven
Squad number: 6
Preferred foot: Right

Key Attributes
In simple terms, Maher is the Dutch Xavi. 

His elegant, composed approach to the game attracted the Dutch giants to the starlet from AZ Alkmaar at the end of 2012/2013 campaign and he subsequently signed a 5 year deal with the club. His major influence is Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez; unsurprising when you consider Maher's composure on the ball. 

He's a player that makes the strikers in front of him tick, however, his assist record in the past three seasons is extremely poor. Maher can't be criticised for the number of chances he creates, but a record of 1 assist in 51 games is questionable.

It's the Moroccan born midfielder's goalscoring record that makes him such a hot prospect. 21 goals from 51 performances is a mightily impressive tally and blows the respective records of David Silva and even Andres Iniesta's out of the water.

Like Yaya Toure, Maher is more effective higher up the pitch where he is free to exhibit his creative flair. Technically, he's up there with the best and rarely gives the ball away when in possession. Former Dutch international Pierre Van Hooijdonk has even said that 'based on technical abilities, he is absolutely the best in the Eredivisie'. 

Before the Dutch starlet joined PSV in 2013, he was attracting the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, PSG and Barcelona. Eindhoven will feel lucky that they were able to drag him from the mighty grasp of the European elite, however in the long term, staying in the Eredivisie will certainly accelerate Maher's development and chances of being considering for the Netherlands World Cup campaign. 


Maher's main strengths include:

• Passing
• Service
• Vision
• Skill and dribbling ability
• Footwork
• Ball control
• Goalscoring

Maher's main weaknesses include:

• Power
• Strength
• Tackling

Facts

• His personal Twitter account is @Ad8mmaher
• His former clubs include Sv Diemen, AVV Zeeburgia and AZ Alkmaar
• Maher made his official debut for PSV on 30th July 2013 against Zulte-Waregem
• Maher has 8 caps for the Netherlands

Overall Potential Rating

• 1-3 - Not good enough to reach the top level
• 4-5 - Potential to nail down a regular spot in a mid table side
• 6-7 - Potential to be a top European midfielder
• 8-10 - Potential to be world class

7/10

Stoke City 0 - 0 Manchester City

STOKE CITY 0 - 0 MANCHESTER CITY


City suffer from the Britannia blues

Pellegrini’s men continued their rotten record at the Britannia Stadium in a barely watchable bore draw on Saturday afternoon.

Álvaro Negredo, Jack Rodwell, Aleksander Kolarov, James Milner and Stevan Jovetić all made starts in a new look side, but were ultimately useless in a performance many City fans will want to forget.

The Blues started promisingly and enjoyed long spells of possession, however, the Potters had a purpose about their play and looked the more likely team to score. Jonathan Walters squandered a number of chances to put his side in front and Joe Hart was on top form to deny Kenwyne Jones. Jovetić came close with a speculative volley, but goalscoring opportunities were limited.

City’s defensive injury trouble stuck out like a sore thumb and a Javi García – Matija Nastasić central defensive partnership looked about as steady as a canoe riding a tidal wave. Kolarov failed to build on his impressive international form and the Blues never looked like troubling the home side.

A dismal and lethargic performance saw City’s Britannia blues continue and will see Match Of The Day’s viewer count significantly reduced this evening, especially from the blue half of Manchester.

The omens look rather dreary in the build up to Sunday’s Manchester derby and Pellegrini has a lot of work to do if he is to win over a frustrated fan base.

Next stop Plzen. Let’s hope it’s paradise and not more pain. 

Player Ratings

 Joe Hart 7

Made a number of crucial saves to prevent Stoke grabbing a deserved victory.

 Pablo Zabaleta 6Didn't do much wrong but wasn't able to assist the midfield with the forward runs he usually makes.

 Matija Nastasic 6
An unsteady performance. Kompany's presence definitely helps the young Serbian.
 Javi Garcia 6

Not a position he is likely to hold down and looked uncomfortable once again.

 Aleksandar Kolarov 6.5

A fairly steady performance in which he did nothing wrong, but nothing significant either.

 James Milner 6
Unable to find Negredo with a number of failed crosses.

 Jack Rodwell 6
Great to see him in the side but wasn't able to affect the game in any way. Showed his defensive capabilities and could be a better option than Garcia in the centre of defence. 

 Yaya Toure 6
Played too deep, no influence.
 Samir Nasri 5
Almost gifted Jones a goal and typically faded out of the game.

 Stevan Jovetic 5.5
Looked unsure positionally, but it will take time for the new signing to gel into the side. Showed flickers of class and more game time will obviously help him.

 Alvaro Negredo 6.5
Had to work with scraps but troubled Stoke's defense to the best of his abilities.

Stoke City v Manchester City

                                                              

Preview
Next stop Britannia Stadium; home of the putrid Potters who love to bully and bluster the blues every time they step foot in Stoke.

As their nickname suggests, the Potters are a workman-like team; the sort of team City seem to always have an issue with. Unsurprisingly, the blues have never been victorious in the Britannia Stadium since Stoke joined the top flight in 2008, collecting only 4 points from a possible 15.

They're not known for their flashy football, but at home 'effectiveness' is the key word. Enter Mark Hughes; a man intent on enforcing an attacking flair reminiscent of his glory days at Manchester United. The Welshman has been summoned by Stoke to imprint his style of play on a team that were guilty of relying on the long ball and unnaturally long throw-ins under Tony Pulis, and it seems to have worked.

Hughes' men sit 5th in the table and although it's early days, their position pays testament to Mark's brave style of management. 

On a mission to deflate Stoke's balloon is Manuel Pellegrini. Steam will be flooding from his ears following a drastically unsuccessful international break which has seen David Silva and Gael Clichy tick their names off on City's growing injury list. However, glimmering performances from Aleksandar Kolarov and Samir Nasri in midweek will give the Chilean some hope. 

Many will argue that the blues need to go like-for-like against a vibrant Stoke side, and I agree. The Potters won't give up, and therefore the likes of James Milner and Jack Rodwell may be utilised to combat their incessant energy.

Mark Hughes has never conquered the blues since his dismissal in 2009, let's hope that dismal record continues.

1-1

Line-Up
Injury trouble is bound to affect the team and the absence of David Silva will leave Pellegrini with a tough choice to make. Stevan Jovetic is available for selection and his creative style could make him an ideal replacement for the Spaniard.

Stevan Jovetic against Bayern Munich in pre-season

Alvaro Negredo will be expecting to start after picking up City's Player of the Month award, Edin Dzeko is likely to drop to the bench. 

Stoke's rough and ready style may also make James Milner a favourable option for Pellegrini. 

Key Men

Alvaro Negredo
The Spaniards power and aerial ability will give City a perfect option up top, especially against a side like Stoke. He's made a lively start to life in Manchester and will be hoping to continue his fine record on Saturday afternoon.


Marko Arnautovic
The big Austrian promised big things at Inter but failed to achieve his potential. Now in the Premier League, his strength and height will be put to the ultimate test. Is the Premier League the perfect stage Stoke's new boy? We'll have to wait and see.

The Curious Case of Kaka

He had a Ballon d'Or award, he had a FIFA World Player of the Year award, he boasted a luxurious 70 goals from midfield in 193 appearances for Milan and he demanded a £60m price tag. 

Search for the word 'Galactico' in the dictionary and you'd find Kaka; the 26 year-old Brazilian luminary. 

So where, and how, did it all go wrong?

Florentino Perez

Those who take a keen interest in European football will know exactly who Florentino Perez is; the crooked President of Real Madrid with an estimated worth of £1.5billion. 

The civil engineer scales the land in search for his next multi-million euro purchase every summer. Failure is a word that has never prevailed in the lingo of the slimy Spaniard, because of course, every players' childhood dream is to play for Los Blancos. Yes, he has an eye for an outstanding player, but his ability to engineer a harmonious squad that has the clubs best interests at heart is deplorable.

In simpler terms, it's like throwing all of the finest ingredients in the world into a pan. They may taste delicious on their own, but who says they'll mix?

From Milan to Madrid

On the 8th June 2009, Kaka completed his €68.5 million move to Real Madrid. Perez had forced another club into submission and AC Milan had to reluctantly tap out. Vice-president Adriano Galliani confirmed the sale was for economical reasons and the scales of European football tipped even more in Real Madrid's favour.

Big fees create big pressure, but was that the formidable factor in Kaka's Madrid misery? Zinedine Zidane had no problems living up to his price tag, neither did Ronaldo or Figo. However, Kaka had one parasite incessantly clinging onto his back during his four year stay in Spain...

Injury trouble

In actual fact, Kaka ended his first season in La Liga with a respectable 8 goals and 6 assists. His capabilities demanded more, but settling into the most famous outfit in world football was never going to be an elementary task.

The plague hit on 5th August 2010 when Real Madrid announced Kaka had undergone successful surgery on a long-standing knee injury. The Brazilian would face four months on the sidelines, a development that all but sealed the midfielders' demise. 

From then onwards, injury hovered like a cumulonimbus above Kaka's Real Madrid career. He ended his tenure in Spain with only fifteen 90 minute performances. 

Regrettably, the world was never granted the pleasure of witnessing the Brazilian prodigy hit his prime. 

Dream money or dream move?

The big question. 

Was injury the reason for Kaka's torrid time in Madrid, or was his heart ever in it? It's a controversial question, but a question that must be asked, especially considering the Brazilian's latest quotes upon rejoining AC Milan. 'I'm returning home to AC Milan' he announced. They say 'home is where the heart is', so let us again ask the question; 'was Kaka's heart ever in Madrid'?

The answer is no. In actual fact, the fee proposed by Florentino Perez back in 2009 forced Milan into selling their prized asset. Kaka was enjoying his football in Italy and had Milan to thank for capturing football's top awards in 2007. 

Although playing for Real Madrid is certainly an appetising prospect, it's not always the best or desired move for every player. 

Manchester City 2 - 0 Hull City

MANCHESTER CITY 2 - 0 HULL CITY
Negredo 65', Yaya Toure 90'


Alvaro and the Chipmunks get the better of Bruce's Tigers. 

With last weeks loss still looming over the Etihad like a lugubrious rain cloud, Pellegrini will have demanded a vast improvement. 

Unfortunately, that didn't happen and the Tigers went in for their prey like they hadn't eaten in a week. The sirens bellowed early in the first half and Sone Aluko capitalised on some shoddy defending only to scuff his shot wide of Hart's goal. 

Bruce's side even had the ball in the net courtesy of forgotten man Danny Graham; the linesman ensured his goalscoring woe continued. Hull were showing everyone how much they wanted to stay in the league, City were doing the opposite and an angry roar from the Etihad crowd at half time did its best to kick the blues into shape.

Cue the arrival of the Spanish saviour, Alvaro Negredo. On 65 minutes, the £16m man nodded in from a Pablo Zabaleta cross to give City and undeserved lead. However, the Tigers continued to stalk their prey and never allowed the home side to look comfortable. 

In the dying minutes of the rather tedious game, Yaya Toure fired an exact replica of the free-kick he netted against Newcastle. 

Positives: Alvaro Negredo and we've found ourselves a free-kick taker,

Negatives: We struggled to beat Hull City.

The International break is up next; everyone's favourite time of the year... Let's hope it sparks a vibrant change in our rather lackluster style of football.

Player Ratings
 Joe Hart 7Made not one mistake and looked confident when dealing with the high ball into the box. Another clean sheet to add to his list. 

 Pablo Zabaleta 7
Vast improvement from his poor performance in Cardiff. Gave a typically terrier-like performance and assisted Negredo for City's opener. 

 Matija Nastasic 6
Brilliant to see the young defender back in the squad but he never looked entirely comfortable. Hopefully it's down to fitness and not ability.

 Joleon Lescott 5.5Made too many mistakes early on which could have seen the away side take a 2-0 lead. Never confident when on the ball.
 Aleksandar Kolarov 7A surprise addition to the team in place of Gael Clichy, however, he gave a solid performance. Provided City with width down the left hand side and could have scored.

 Jesus Navas 6
Looks better when he sticks to the right hand side. We brought him in for width and cutting inside defeats the aim. 

 Fernandinho 6
Pace is something he'll have to get used to in the Premier League, however, the midfield doesn't look solid enough with just him in the holding position. A 4-5-1 formation would help.

 Yaya Toure 6.5
Largely ineffective until his stunning free-kick on 90 minutes. We have a free-kick taker.

 David Silva 6
He struggled to weave his magic once again and was replaced by Samir Nasri.

 Sergio Aguero 6
When back to full fitness, I expect him to release the ball earlier! Effort can't be faulted. 

 Edin Dzeko 5
Did he play? Substituted by Negredo at half time.