And if the Blues can pull off a win against the slayers of Juventus, Pablo Zabaleta feels they will be firmly on course to land a Champions League place next season.
That is a prospect which excites the Argentinian utility player, the only man to have played in every game since Roberto Mancini took the reins at Eastlands.
"This season we have all been watching the Champions League on TV, but we want to be there next season," said the man who played in three different positions at Sunderland last week.
"Just hearing the Champions League anthem makes us excited! I haven't played in it before, and I want to change that with City. We have to be confident and try to get there next season."
Fulham grabbed their own slice of European glory by beating Juventus 4-1, and 5-4 on aggregate, this week.
But Zabaleta feels that City need to find the kind of form the showed a couple of miles down the road at Chelsea three weeks ago to secure a vital win.
And if they can do that, City's home form might just be enough to see them through to clinch fourth place.
"Six of the last nine games are at home, and that is good for us, because we feel more comfortable on our own pitch, and we are more dynamic at home," he said.
On a lighter note, Zabaleta joined the rest of the City squad, manager Roberto Mancini and his staff, and the Eastlands workforce to raise cash for Sport Relief on Friday.
The players led a walk round the stadium and then cheered on staff members taking part in a 60-metre sprint in the East Stand car park.
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Showing comments 1 to 20 and replies | View All
HAYMAN BACK IN BOLTON, WESTHOUGHTON (20/03/2010 at 13:40)
Gerry Gow's Rusholme Boy, Manchester (20/03/2010 at 14:28)
Kilgore Trout, Bramhall (20/03/2010 at 15:57)
We'll only defend for 30 mins, eventually concede and then be forced to change formation in search of an equaliser. Surely Mancini has noticed a pattern by now, or maybe going one down is all part of the master plan.
fowler, wythenshawe (20/03/2010 at 15:58)
remember its only a matter of time anyway before we not only reach top 4 but top 1. back a blue never ever boo one.
Blue45, Hyde (20/03/2010 at 16:00)
They will be raring to go in the opening half hour, but hopefully that great win of theirs over Juventus might have taken its toll.
i expect a hard fought match but we have enough talent to get all 3 points..
Jordie, Manchester (20/03/2010 at 16:13)
Gerry Gow's Rusholme Boy, Manchester
What absolute tosh. I'd like you to explain to me how we can creep into a champs league spot and not merit it?
Linda Survivor, To buy us a diver (20/03/2010 at 16:48)
50 and mad for it (20/03/2010 at 17:21)
ted knott, droylsden (20/03/2010 at 20:45)
However Spurs won again today and that puts us under more pressure to succeeed at Fulham and at home against Everton on Wednesday.Anything less than six points and I think we will start to slip further in the race for fourth place.As you quite rightly stated our players need to lay down firmly a statement of intent by going for it in style proving we are actually the 4th best team.My heart says we can do it but my head doesn't all I want is for our team to prove me wrong I would be delighted!
T.LESS, SALE (20/03/2010 at 21:03)
Tommy Magnum (20/03/2010 at 22:44)
Fulham A = draw
Everton H = draw
Wigan H = win
Burnley A = win
Birmingham H = win
Scum H = draw
Arsenal A = loss
Villa H = draw
Spurs H = loss
West Ham A = loss
Points tally 63 finish 6th
What do ya think ?
Pivo, Manchester (21/03/2010 at 00:54)
wizzballs, oxford (21/03/2010 at 02:20)
sadly ireland doesn't seem to contribute much of anything right now, and swp lacks a common-sense, get your head up, keep the ball moving, don't give it away needlessly attitude.
have to laugh at people who suggest playing johnson, ireland, bellamy and swp in front of de jong. they add up to half a midfielder between the lot of them. wingers like johnson aren't the same thing as midfielders who play out wide. bellamy isn't even really a winger at all, and swp has always been a striker pretending to be a wing-back.
fwiw my best team is
Given
Toure-Kompany-Lescott-Bridge
----------------NDJ
---------Zab--------Barry
--Johnson------------------Bellamy
--------------Tevez
viera could deputise for any of the midfielders, his intelligence and passing range is exactly what we lack. I'd also give tevez as a narrow right winger/second striker a shot when adebayor comes back, preferably with johnson wide on the left, and zab charged with overlapping from RB (richard's attacking runs, whilst pretty useful,normally see him starting out wide and running into a more central position). actually it's a little puzzling to me why this hasn't been tried at all this season.
so maybe on current form my ideal team is
-------------given
zab-kompany-lescott-bridge
-\/------------ndj-
-------viera-----barry--------
----tevez---------------johnson
--------------ade
peter cooper (21/03/2010 at 05:59)
M.C. Mark Seattle (21/03/2010 at 09:06)
www.justgiving.com/garryhardingmarathon (21/03/2010 at 09:14)
On 25th april I am running the london marathon for Christies Cancer Hospital after my dad was treated there for multiple myeloma, and would ask everyone to please check out my webpage (address below) Thanks CTID
Sorry for the shameless plug but I hope to raise as much as possible...
jepetto, Ashton under Lyne (21/03/2010 at 10:03)
Get real guys.
O'h and by the way Micah Richards didn't really say that!!
BahBlue, Bahrain (21/03/2010 at 10:08)
CTID West Midlands (21/03/2010 at 10:12)
we stand a chance of 6th so still in Europe, but does that mean that Mancini stays?
if not - more upheaval. there will be some departures, some no propblem, others would be regretted - eg Ireland still not being played where he is most effective. another manager may take him and that could come back to haunt us.
Adebayor should be refusing his pay packet - it is an easy thing to be on good money, seem to be too enthusiastic, do something silly and get banned, Toure may also want to move - no problem there either.
no champions league? = no big signings - except Mourinho?
jepetto, Ashton under Lyne (21/03/2010 at 14:36)
BahBlue, Bahrain
21/03/2010 at 10:08
I rest my case!!!!
By the way BahBlue, Bahrain, everytime is 100% not 99%