City must prove genuine Euro credentials tomorrow

IT seems to have been lost in the tumult surrounding Carlos Tevez’s apparent refusal to play, but Manchester City’s Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread after their meek surrender in Munich two weeks ago.

One point from two games is poor return when you consider the squad Roberto Mancini has assembled at quite lavish expense over the past 22 months. And for a club whose goal is to be the greatest side in Europe, there can be no learning curve, no gradual ascent to the top of the mountain; rather, success must be instantaneous.

That means tomorrow’s game against Villarreal at the Etihad Stadium is must-win. With Bayern taking maximum points from their first two games and Napoli sitting pretty on four points, City have to take advantage of a Spanish side that are struggling to live up to their previous high standards.