Manchester City must not take Plzen lightly, says Pellegrini
Big-spending Manchester City must not underestimate little-known Czech opponents Viktoria Plzen in Tuesday`s Champions League opener, said manager Manuel Pellegrini.
|Last Updated: Sep 16, 2013, 09:23 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Manchester: Big-spending Manchester City must not underestimate little-known Czech opponents Viktoria Plzen in Tuesday`s Champions League opener, said manager Manuel Pellegrini.
The Chilean, who led debutants Malaga to the quarter-finals earlier this year, is in his first campaign at the Etihad Stadium and wants to improve on last season`s performance by City who failed to reach the knockout stages.
"It would be a big mistake to think that playing a team with less history in Europe would be easier to play," Pellegrini told the club`s website (www.mcfc.co.uk) on the eve of the Group D fixture against the Czech league winners in Plzen.
"Last season when the draw took place AC Milan and Zenit St Petersburg were happy to be drawn against Malaga and they felt they`d already qualified for the next round."
Pellegrini, who also led Villarreal to the semi-finals in 2006, was given some words of advice by former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes at the weekend.
Hughes, now in charge of Stoke City, said if his old club failed to progress in Europe it would be a "stick that people can use to hit them over the head with".
The other teams in Manchester City`s group are holders Bayern Munich and CSKA Moscow.
"This is my fifth year in the Champions League and I am very happy about my last campaigns," said Pellegrini.
"It is not easy to reach the semi-finals with a team like Villarreal, or to make it to a quarter-final."
Reuters
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.