Roberto Mancini is anticipating Manchester City against Roma and advised the Giallorossi on how best to face the Premier League side.
Mancini’s former club host Rudi Garcia’s Roma on Tuesday evening in the second round of Champions League group stage matches.
“I expect a spectacular challenge,” the 49-year-old currently unemployed Coach has told the Gazzetta dello Sport today.
Roberto Mancini is anticipating Manchester City against Roma and advised the Giallorossi on how best to face the Premier League side.
Mancini’s former club host Rudi Garcia’s Roma on Tuesday evening in the second round of Champions League group stage matches.
“I expect a spectacular challenge,” the 49-year-old currently unemployed Coach has told the Gazzetta dello Sport today.
“Manchester City practice a different style of football with respect to the others in England – infinite passes, the ball on the ground, the ability to switch between the patterns of attack in the middle or on the wings.
“Roma play with the ball, as once before. City are not the Manchester United of a few years ago, all running and competitiveness. And this could be an advantage for Roma.
“The best tactic against City? The key is a fast start and to take advantage of the opportunity that City will grant them.
“They have to be careful in defence, concentrate for the entire 90 minutes, and be clinical in attack.
“A complete Roma can beat City, but the absences of De Rossi, Castan and Astori make them more vulnerable as a squad.
“I have seen that Iturbe has been called up – he can create problems for City. In the counter-attack he can be devastating.”
Mancini was asked to pick out the man for Roma to keep most attention on trying to stop tomorrow night.
“Yaya Toure. A force of nature that Manchester are seeing the best of. But then there is the class of Silva, the sense of goal from Aguero, the running from Zabaleta.
“Manchester City are a great team. Also, this year for the Premier League it will be between them and Chelsea.”
Seydou Keita is seen as most likely the man charged with stopping former Barcelona teammate Toure.
“Keita is a player that I have always admired. He belongs to the category of players that are incomprehensibly undervalued.
“He was important at Barcelona and with Roma he can give so much more because he has international experience.
“He is nearly 35, but he knows how to manage himself.”
Another in advancing years but set to start in midweek is Francesco Totti, who just turned 38 at the weekend.
“Totti is still important because with the class that he has he knows how to move in the field. He runs less, but he makes the ball run.”
Mattia Destro scored a notable goal from 40 yards out this weekend.
“He has quality. I remember him at Inter. His technical value is not to be discussed, but he must grow.
“Young people often thing that when success comes in the field that their growth has finished. That is not so. Talent must be trained every day.”
Mancini considered this year’s Serie A race, which looks to be between Roma and Juventus.
“I think that Napoli will be able to get back into the race. If the environment is able to calm down and not create problems, Napoli will fight for the title. Benitez is working well.”