Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini feels his team must improve quickly if they are to qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds - but believes they do have it in them to go on and win the competition.

City, beaten 3-2 by Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in their Group D opener last month, are looking to get their European season kick-started tomorrow when they take on German champions Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium.

With Dortmund having begun with a 1-0 win over Ajax, the pressure is on the Blues to secure all three points if they are to avoid a repeat of their maiden Champions League campaign last term, which ended in failure to qualify from another difficult group.

While acknowledging the club are relatively inexperienced at this level, Mancini accepts there is a considerable weight of expectation on City to make major strides on the European stage, and has stressed the importance of his players cutting out the kind of mistakes he felt allowed Real to snatch victory against them.

The Italian is optimistic, though, that if City do manage to up their game and make it beyond the group stage, there is no reason why they cannot then go all the way.

``This is the second year for us in the Champions League and the second year that we got the worst group,'' Mancini said.

``Like we have improved (over the years) in the Premier League, we need time to improve in the Champions League, but we don't have a lot of time - only five more games, and we need to improve quickly.

``We need to not concede easy goals to drop points like we did against Real Madrid. If we want to go through, we need to improve very quickly.''

Asked if he felt he was still learning about Champions League football on a personal level, Mancini said: ``I don't need to learn.

``The Champions League is a difficult competition, but football is the same. It doesn't change - it is still 11 players against 11.

``The problem is that you are always playing against the best team from another country and every game is difficult.

``I hope I can improve my record in the Champions League, and I think we have arrived at the time where we can win the Champions League.''

Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, feels his team have taken valuable lessons from their experiences in the tournament last season and has made it clear they are looking to get something out of tomorrow's clash.

Dortmund returned to the competition last term for the first time in eight years, but had a disappointing time of it, finishing bottom of their group after suffering four defeats in their six games.

The German outfit are back again in 2012-13 after securing a second successive Bundesliga title under Klopp, who feels they are wiser for their experiences in Europe of a year ago.

So far this time out they have made a positive start in Group D by beating Dutch league winners Ajax 1-0 at home, and while the 45-year-old is expecting tomorrow's assignment to be a tough one, he is optimistic Dortmund can emerge from it with a positive result.

Asked if he felt his side were getting used to the Champions League, Klopp said: ``We have taken a step forward and we have learned a lot from defeats in past Champions League campaigns.

``Tomorrow will be a different question. But at the end of the day, we have come here to get something out of the game.

``We are fully focused, we want to get a result tomorrow night and that is what we will be playing for.''


http://espnfc.com/en/preview/355664/preview.html?soccernet=true&cc=3888

yeahhhhhhhhhhhh man shittyyyyyyy you've got no choice today than to

See what will happen today. https://avo.net/?ref=AVO1912233

big match!!!....... Their situation is almost dsame in last season C-League group stage nor of dem want to drop dis season

wahala deeyyyy oo

Mario Götze will teach city football today . Hehehehehe

Go Dortmund

no commetary for espn?

lewandowski heads over..

great defending from hummels.......,wetin ballo dey talk?

This hart na keeper see how him save gotze shot

Wasnt that a handball from Zabaleta

Hits the post again

twice Gotze has hit the bar

Joe Hart again

Marco Reussssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Poor defence from manchester city

Dortmund dey play soccer! Joe Hart should be up for the Balon D'or with this performance! The scoreline flatters City

Hummels out for Santana.

I am worried

Lewadoski is a foool

dayokanu: Lewadoski is a foool

A compound fool! Just killed another attack. Man is this the best England have to offer! Dortmund is playing em off the park

MATSSSSSS HUMMELSSSSSSSS.........BEELU SIGN THIS DUDE NOW!!!

If not for wastefulness Dortmund should have buried this long ago

chic2pimp: MATSSSSSS HUMMELSSSSSSSS.........BEELU SIGN THIS DUDE NOW!!!

Hehehehe Jonah D Dreamer u wey no fit afford Yanga Mbiwa wan buy Hummels

Subotic brainfart hands City a bailout

Imagine just imagine

Is this the EPL champs

bayern near success syndrome killed dortmund

Great football from Dortmund. Joe Hart must be a god.

chic2pimp: MATSSSSSS HUMMELSSSSSSSS.........BEELU SIGN THIS DUDE NOW!!!

if he was still playing, just may be he would have been the one to chase that ball instead of subotic.

the ref just wanted to compensate the home team

Babamide: Great football from Dortmund. Joe Hart must be a god.

not really. strikers like messi would have scored 4 tonight. Lewandoski and Reus messed up big time.

Dortmund must be kicking themselves for not taking their chances

Joe Hart is just a beast!! Everyone in that City team should just pay their wages to his account this week. Weidenfeller was also excellent


If Dortmund fail to qualify they should hold Lewandoski responsible! How da phock did he miss that 75th minute chance!! Torres wouldn't miss that

chic2pimp:

Berlu is a Multi billionaire and can pretty much afford to buy the whole Bayern squad ten times over if He so wishes. So money is not the problem here.

Btw wetin happen to Bayern last night?

Ol boy sharrap!! All those embezzled funds! Baba don lanaa! Make he buy player now? Una don turn A$$nal wey dey wait for player contract to expire come buy am free. You guys can't afford Yanga Mbiwa! Yanga phocking Mbiwa

Same thing wey dey happen to Milan for San Siro dis season

Can we have the ages of all those BVB outfield starters tooday?