Tuesday 25 November 2014 19:15, UK
Manchester City will "fight to the end" to avoid another early Champions League exit on Tuesday, Manuel Pellegrini says.
Anything less than victory over Bayern Munich at the Etihad will eliminate City if the game between Group E rivals CSKA Moscow and Roma has a positive result.
That would mean City have failed to get beyond the group stage twice in three seasons - and Pellegrini knows that record is not good enough for a club of their ambition.
Nobody - not me nor the team - is happy with the way we've played this group stage, and we have a last chance.
"It is important for this club to do well in Europe," he said. "Tomorrow the team will fight to the end to continue in the Champions League.
"If we don't qualify we will analyse why. But we must play the game tomorrow and against Roma before drawing conclusions. Nobody - not me nor the team - is happy with the way we've played this group stage, and we have a last chance."
Both City and Bayern have personnel problems coming into the game: the Premier League champions will be missing the banned Yaya Toure and Fernandinho along with injured trio David Silva, Edin Dzeko and Aleksandr Kolarov.
Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic missed an open training session on Tuesday, but both forwards are in the squad and will be fit.
Bayern travel without captain Philipp Lahm, who is out with a broken ankle, while Javi Martinez, David Alaba and Thiago Alcantara are among others who remain unavailable.
But Bastian Schweinsteiger made his first appearance of the season against Hoffenheim at the weekend, and former City defender Jerome Boateng is expected to play despite suffering a dead leg in that game.
Either way Pellegrini is not expecting an easy ride from opponents already assured of top spot in the group and still unbeaten since defeat to Borussia Dortmund in August's German Super Cup.
He said: "They have injuries, but we also have important players out. Big teams have big squads and other players who can play very well. I don't think that just because they have qualified they'll do worse than they have before. I'm sure we are going to have a very tough game."
