Today at 12:00 p.m. Manchester City will travel to face CSKA Moscow in a Group D UEFA Champions league clash that can be live streamed by clicking this link. Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini is none too pleased either, claiming the Arena Khimki field is dangerous and unplayable.
"I think it is unbelievable that the most important competition of the world is allowed to play in this pitch," Pellegrini said before suggesting the game be cancelled if rain comes down. "We must pray tomorrow. If it is raining I think it will be impossible to play."
Pellegrini went on to say that UEFA should seriously consider postponing the match. "I think so. Really, I couldn't believe when I saw the pitch - not only for the two teams, but the people, this is the most important competition of the world. It deserves a better pitch."
CSKA's coach Leonid Slutsky agreed with Pellegrini, but stated his distaste for the playing surface in a far more clever fashion. "I suppose the quality of the pitch is, absolutely, equal to the quality of our latest results." Slutsky's side is 1-0-1 thus far in Champions league play, but has a goal differential of negative two.
Despite the surface the game will go on, and it will have major consequences going forward. "It is not the last match of the group but I think it is very important, the game we play tomorrow," Pellegrini said. "The team that wins tomorrow will have more chance (to go through) but both teams will still have to play three games more."
Slutsky also sees this game and the next as crucial, as he said on Tuesday. "We now have watermark games. It is usually the same that the third and fourth games are the most decisive ones. Tomorrow is a key game and a lot will be understood after it but none of the teams will have progressed to the next stage yet."
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
