Warning for Bayern as City show steel

THEY have attracted plenty of derision in England but Manchester City must have felt like they had finally made it when Bayern Munich started having pot-shots at them.

If it was not Uli Hoeness ridiculing the transfer policy under Mark Hughes, it was Karl-Heinz Rumenigge joking that City would attempt to register 48 players in their Champions League squad.

Tomorrow night the talking will stop in the Allianz Arena, for what promises to be a compelling clash.

After last weekend’s frustrating 2-2 draw at Fulham, Saturday’s win over Everton was seen as more evidence to support the view that City have added a clinical edge to their granite base.

At times this season they have been a joy to watch, with David Silva, Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero picking Premier League defences to bits.

But the three points against David Moyes’ side showed a little bit more.

“A few of their players have settled down now, and you can tell they believe they should be where they are now, rather than maybe just hoping,” Everton defender Phil Jagielka said.

“Whether they’ve got enough to pip Man United and Chelsea, who have the experience of the cold December nights and nicking an away win despite playing badly, time will tell.”

While some of Roberto Mancini’s team’s stodgy performances of last season have been forgotten thanks to them scoring 19 goals on the way to five victories in their first six Premier League matches, they will face a Bayern team in even better form.

After a 1-0 defeat on the opening day, Bayern have fired their way to nine straight wins, without conceding a goal and scoring 26.

Mancini’s attacking midfielders may feel that they are the best crop in English football but Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are also in fine fettle.

In the past, Mancini, who felt his team showed anxiety as they drew their opening Champions League game with Napoli 1-1, would have packed the centre with defensive midfielders. But even if Nigel De Jong were fully fit and Owen Hargreaves was registered for European competition, there is a sense that he would stick with his attacking 4-3-3.

Silva certainly feels a positive approach will serve City well in Bavaria. “We always try and keep our style of football,” Silva said. “Against Bayern we will try the same.

“We don’t have to change our style against other teams home or away. We believe in what we are doing and have confidence in each other so we will keep doing the same things.’’

James Milner, who scored City’s second after Mario Balotelli made the breakthrough midway through the second half against Everton, thinks Mancini’s tactical flexibility can take his team a long way in Europe.

“We know it will be tough,” Milner said. “They seem to be playing with confidence but we can beat anyone on our day. We just need to have the confidence to do what we have been doing and get a good result.

“The majority of players have played in the Champions League before, the only new experience is doing it together. We just go into it concentrating on what we can do. The way we play, we change formations a lot. There is fluidity and movement.”

With no strikers, Everton were unapologetic about sticking men behind the ball but it almost worked. In one 10-minute spell before half time, 50% of the play was in the visitors’ final third but their organisation meant City could not find a way through.

That was until Mario Balotelli came off the bench and hit a shot that deflected off Jagielka and past the stranded Tim Howard. After that Silva hit the post before clipping through a trademark pass for Milner to guide another effort past Howard.

A significant breakthrough. Another stiff test awaits tomorrow night.