City stutter towards a Real tough task

Stoke 1 Manchester City 1

If that really is the case for Manchester City, it is a sensation that can only last another 24 hours.

When the Champions League theme drones out at the Bernabeu tomorrow evening, even the most jaded of sports fans will find it hard to argue that the new season is really upon us.

And there is little doubt that Roberto Mancini’s side require a significant improvement if they are to avoid a chastening evening in the Spanish capital.

While they go into the game in better form than Real, who were beaten 1-0 by Sevilla on Saturday night, City have not been poor in their opening four Premier League matches, which have yielded eight points, but neither have they been impressive.

They will face an entirely different test to Stoke but defensive frailties must be a concern, while Yaya Toure, David Silva and Samir Nasri have yet to find any real rhythm and, despite Carlos Tevez’s impressive opening to the campaign, Sergio Aguero, who remains a major doubt with an ankle problem, would be a real miss.

There is a sense that City may only realise how pivotal tomorrow evening could be once the opportunity has passed.

Mancini, whose team failed to get out of the group stage in their first ever Champions League campaign last year, acknowledges it has been a far from simple opening to the season.

“I don’t think we are 100% but this is difficult because we had a difficult pre-season. We didn’t work with all players. Some players started their pre-season at the end of July. In this, the last month there were two international breaks.

“This is difficult for any manager to manage his team but we played two games away, Liverpool and Stoke. I think eight points are good.

“I am excited if we win but I think it will be a good moment for everyone, for the club, for the players, for the supporters. When you play against Real Madrid — Madrid is the history of football for 100 years. They won everything. I think it will be good.”

Mancini will retain concerns about his team’s defending — and he clearly seems to harbour doubts about Joleon Lescott — but the contribution of his three new signings were undoubtedly a positive at the Britannia Stadium.

Scott Sinclair has been brought in as a squad player but his directness will prove useful on this evidence and Maicon will make a difference around the edge of opposition areas this season.

But Javi Garcia produced a display that suggested even more promise. Long before Nigel de Jong, who joined AC Milan last month, began to play hardball as he entered the final year of his contract, Mancini appeared ready to allow the Dutchman to move on.

So perhaps it was symbolic that after Peter Crouch opened the scoring with a close range finish after a goalmouth scramble Spaniard Garcia, a €15.8m deadline day signing from Benfica, equalled De Jong’s Premier League goal tally in his first match with a header from a Tevez free-kick.

The midfielder, who has had two stints with Real Madrid, rarely gave the ball away and showed an aggressive streak that means De Jong’s absence is unlikely to be noticed.

City should have snatched the win late on but Asmir Begovic turned another Garcia header against the post and Ryan Shawcross hacked off the line from Edin Dzeko’s lob.

Stoke may be looking for their first victory in 15 Premier League matches but Tony Pulis looks likely to be rewarded after another summer of trading up.

Steven Nzonzi was born to play for Stoke and while Charlie Adam appears to have been revitalised since his move to the Britannia Stadium.

“I thought Adam and N’Zonzi played well, and Whelan played well,” Pulis said.

“He picked off hell of a lot of danger and cleared up hell of a lot of stuff for us.”

STOKE (4-5-1): Begovic 8; Wilkinson 5, Shawcross 8, Huth 7, Wilson 6; Walters 7, Whelan 8, Nzonzi 7, Adam 7 (Cameron 85, 6), Kightly 5 (Etherington 69, 6); Crouch 7 (Owen 90, 6).

MANCHESTER CITY (4-4-2): Hart 6; Maicon 6, Kompany 6, Lescott 6, Clichy 7; Nasri 5, Garcia 8, Y Toure 7, Sinclair 7 (Silva 74, 6); Tevez 8 (Barry 64, 6), Balotelli 7 (Dzeko 90).

Referee: Mark Clattenburg.