Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure believes the Premier League champions can win the Champions League this season, as they prepare for their first home game on Wednesday against Borussia Dortmund.
The former Barcelona midfielder, who won the competition with the Catalan giants in 2009, said that with other former winners in their squad such as Maicon, Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli, they have the experience to go all the way.
The 29-year-old said: “I have that experience and it is good to have big players like Maicon and Balotelli. It is not easy to win the Champions League.
“Here the club just wants to be in the second round and we know we have to improve because we have a very good team and with a team like this we can go very far in the competition.” After their opening group game 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu, Toure has called on his side to improve defensively if they are to qualify from the group. Roberto Mancini’s side conceded two goals in the final five minutes from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo in Spain to hand Madrid the victory. “We are playing our first game at home and we want to show the fans we made a mistake in Madrid. We have a tough game against Dortmund,” he added.
“Of course we need to improve when you play against a tough team like Madrid, we need to improve in defensive situations. We have to go beyond that and do better. Most important we have to do our job and get a result.” Mancini, who was furious with his side’s collapse in Spain in the wake of the defeat, insists his side needs to improve quickly if they want to progress.
While it took Champions League regulars Manchester United and Arsenal some years to find their feet in Europe’s elite competition, Mancini knows his side will be judged much sooner.
“I know that it is difficult to win the Champions League, every game is difficult,” the Italian said. “This is second year that we’re playing in the Champions League and the second time we have the worst group. “We know we are a good team like (Manchester) United and Arsenal. We improved in the Premier League and need time to improve in the Champions League.
“But we don’t have time with only five games to go. If we want to go through we need to improve very quickly.”
Mancini accepted that the competition was difficult and was frustrated at the tough draw but was confident that if his side can get out of the “champions” group of Dortmund, Real Madrid and Ajax, anything can happen in the knockout stages.
The Italian manager has yet to win the competition, despite having claimed league titles in both Italy and England, but hopes this season could change that.
“The Champions League is a difficult competition, the football is the same, the players are the same,” he said. “The problem when you play is that it is always against the best teams from other countries.
“Every game is difficult. I hope can improve my record in the Champions League. I think the time will come when we can win the Champions League. But we are currently in a difficult group.
Steven Fletcher returns from Scotland exile
Steven Fletcher made a surprise return to the Scotland squad announced Tuesday for this month’s 2014 World Cup qualifiers, following months of international exile. The Sunderland striker has not featured for the national side since he texted the Scottish Football Association to say he did not want to be selected for a match against Northern Ireland in February 2011. But the 25-year-old made a dramatic comeback to the squad after a third party told Scotland manager Craig Levein he was desperate to play for the national side again. He was swiftly included in Levein’s 25-man squad for the matches against Wales in Cardiff on October 12 and Belgium in Brussels on October 16. “It’s a big plus for me and the rest of the team for him to be involved,” Levein said. “I got a phone call through a third party during the week and that was an indication from that person that Steven was desperate to come back and play.
Scotland squad
Goalkeepers: Matt Gilks (Blackpool/ENG), Allan McGregor (Besiktas/TUR), David Marshall (Cardiff/WAL)
Defenders: Christophe Berra (Wolverhampton/ENG), Gary Caldwell (Wigan/ENG), Daniel Fox (Southampton/ENG), Grant Hanley (Blackburn/ENG), Alan Hutton (Aston Villa/ENG), Russell Martin (Norwich/ENG), Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic), Andy Webster (Hearts)
Midfielders: Charlie Adam (Stoke/ENG), Scott Brown (Celtic), Darren Fletcher (Manchester Utd/ENG), James Forrest (Celtic), James McArthur (Wigan/ENG), Shaun Maloney (Wigan/ENG), James Morrison (West Bromwich/ENG), Robert Snodgrass (Norwich/ENG)
Forwards: Steven Fletcher (Sunderland/ENG), Jamie Mackie (QPR/ENG), Kenny Miller (Vancouver/CAN), Steven Naismith (Everton/ENG), Matt Phillips (Blackpool/ENG), Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn/ENG).
