Wednesday 5 November 2014 19:12, UK
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini remains confident they have a chance of winning the Champions League, despite a poor start to their Group E campaign.
City have accrued just two points from their opening three matches in the competition but victory over CSKA Moscow at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night would boost their chances of making it through to the knockout stages for only the second time in four attempts.
Of course our target is always to try to win the Champions League
"Of course our target is always to try to win the Champions League. We must put in our mind that we are able to do it, that we have a good squad,” said Pellegrini.
"Last year we did one stage more than the other years. I hope that this year we are going to continue improving.
"Maybe there are five or six squads better than our squad at the same level as our squad that also want to do it, but with a winning mentality and an ambitious mind, you must always think you can do it. I think we have time to prove it."
Despite the importance of a positive result against CSKA, Pellegrini is refusing to treat it as a ‘must-win game’, with their final match away to Roma on December 10 potentially crucial in deciding if City can progress in the competition.
"I think it is a very important game but it is not a 'death' game because until mathematics can't fix (it), you can continue,” he added.
"We must win this game because we have just two points and we have three games to play and it is very important to have more points. But we will consider it not a final game but a very, very important game.
"It will depend what the other teams do and it is impossible to be sure, but I think this group will be decided in the last game in Italy against Roma.
"We will see what happens. We are going to try to win our two games at home and see what the other teams do but I am sure this will be decided in the last game."
Watch Manchester City v CSKA Moscow on Sky Sports 5 HD this Wednesday. Coverage gets underway at 6pm.
