The ex-Inter Milan boss has the task of leading the Sky Blues to their second victory in Europe this season. On the first match-day of the Europa League, City triumphed 2-0 over Salzburg and eventually reached the top of Group A as Juventus got held 3-3 to Lech Poznan in Turin. The billionaires are also fresh from a vital 1-0 victory at home to Chelsea in the English Premier League.
On Thursday night, they will be playing, once more, at the City of Manchester Stadium – where they trounced Liverpool 3-0 earlier this season. Juventus are poised to pose a big threat to Roberto Mancini’s men who are looking to get six points from two games in the UEFA Europa League. But will the Nerazzurri’s forces be the only obstacle to Manchester City’s goal of winning tonight?
What about Mancini’s huge respect for the Old Lady? Wouldn’t it allow Juventus to express themselves too much and eventually help them deny Thursday’s hosts from clinching victory? In an interview ahead of tonight’s UEFA Europa League match in England, the Italian revealed his love for Juventus. When asked about the possibility of managing the Nerazzuri should such a chance be presented in future, Roberto Mancini was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying:
“Why not? Football is like that. I was a huge fan [of Juventus] for many years as a child. I have a lot of respect for the club, and I’d never criticism them.”
He then praised Juventus before comparing the Italian club to England’s Manchester City as he stated:
“Juventus have a big history, and that’s normal. Juventus have an important history which cannot be scrubbed out, because they spent some time recently in the Serie B.
“Here [at Manchester City], we are trying to work for this, and I want a big history for this football club. We’re trying to build something and it takes time.
“You can’t do it in just six months. They are still Juventus, and we are like them in the sense that we’re working to try and improve.”
In the meantime, the Manchester City vs Juventus UEFA Europa League match will present another opportunity for the Sky Blues to take another step in their ambition of reaching the stars like other European elite football clubs that can boast of a great history in the sport. How well will Roberto Mancini lead City against the Old Lady on Thursday night?
Don’t miss the Manchester City vs Juventus UEFA Europa League match!
