Manchester City will look to claw their way back into contention in Group D, when they host Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League game at the Etihad.
City have found it tough going in Europe's elite competition this season, with Roberto Mancini's side bottom of the group with just one point from three games. Ajax picked up their first points of the campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over City a couple of weeks ago in Amsterdam, and City will need to overhaul the Dutch champions if they are to stand any chance of qualifying from the group stages.
"It is our second year in the Champions League and so we probably need more experience -- not as players, because we have some who have played in the Champions League many times, but as a team," Mancini said. "We also need some luck, because this group is very difficult and we made some mistakes in the games against Madrid and Ajax.
"Our first home game was against Borussia Dortmund and we probably didn't deserve a point, but against Madrid and Ajax we had a lot of chances to close the game and to score goals. We had the chance to win, but instead we didn't take any points. But that changes nothing.
"I said after the West Ham game (on Saturday) that if we say we are ready to win the Champions League that is not true -- we need to improve. There are other teams that have played in this competition every year.
"We need to improve our team. We have the same team as last year, but the problem that we have had in the first two or three months is that we had seven or eight players injured."
City will again miss their influential playmaker David Silva, while Maicon, Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott, Jack Rodwell and James Milner are all ruled out. However, Pablo Zabaleta could make a return from injury.
Ajax manager Frank De Boer said his side would look to play their own game against City. "All the teams in this group want to be playing Champions League football after the winter break," he said. "But, of course, Manchester City want to get nine points from their remaining matches.
"We will try to get a result here. We are not going to throw it all open but it is not in our nature to play defensively. We want to show how we play at Ajax, whether we are at home or away.
"City have a lot of quality. They have four terrific defenders and two defensive midfielders in front of these defenders. And the strikers have a lot of quality, although they will definitely miss David Silva. But they will still have some big names on the pitch.
"I said before the game against Manchester City in Amsterdam that if we play our own game we can make it very difficult for anybody. We really have to believe. I want to see players that play bravely. Maybe it makes you a quality player if you play your best games under the highest pressure, and hopefully a lot of players will do that tomorrow."
Niklas Moisander is expected to return to the starting lineup after missing the weekend's loss against Vitesse through suspension.
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Expected lineups: Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy; Barry, Garcia; Toure, Nasri, Tevez, Aguero.
Ajax: Vermeer; Van Rhijn, Alderweireld, Moisander, Blind; De Jong, Poulsen; Sana, Babel, Schone, Eriksen.
Prediction: 3-1 to Manchester City
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