Manuel Pellegrini’s side will be favourites. But having let a two-goal lead slip in the Russian capital, they must be vigilant.
For while CSKA have already shown they have the capacity to cause City problems, there is more to come in Manchester. Suspension served, the mercurial figure of Alan Dzagoev is available again.
It’s been a curious career for the man once regarded as Russian football’s great hope. Dzagoev made his debut in Russia’s second tier aged just 15 and later became the youngest ever outfield player for the national team when Guus Hiddink gave him his debut. “Alan is a really clever player with the ability to make a killer pass and stretch the play,” said Hiddink at the time. It was supposed to be just the start.
The progress continued under Dick Advocaat and Dzagoev appeared to come of age at Euro 2012 where his three goals in the group stages meant he finished the tournament as its joint-top scorer. With an inventive touch and an eye for an incisive pass as well as the goals, it felt like Dzagoev’s time to shine.
What followed was a baffling capitulation against Greece as Russia unexpectedly failed to reach the quarter finals. Was Dzagoev chastened by the experience? His wings clipped, he hasn’t really soared as anticipated since. The latest Russia coach Fabio Capello – a roundhead to Dzagoev’s cavalier – has preferred to use the midfielder’s maverick quality as a one-man Plan B rather than construct the operation around him.
The tale of a talented prodigy failing to fulfil potential has become a depressingly familiar one in Russian football over the years and it’s true that the old explanations regarding the trappings of wealth are all too easy to comprehend. But with Dzagoev, there are reasons to question whether the outcome will be the same. There is hope of a twist.
After all, this is a player who by his own admission “eats, sleeps and breathes football” and that attitude can win out against the vagaries of form. His academy coach once claimed that “football is his life” and noted that he is a character more worried by the result than the money. Dzagoev is evidently someone who thinks about the game as shown in an interview with UEFA last year.
“You need to be aware of your team-mates, know who is running and take into account his strengths and weaknesses,” explained Dzagoev. “For example, Seydou Doumbia can receive a pass when he’s on the go as he has very good pace. When he’s running onto the ball you can adjust the pass towards him and that’s how we’ve scored a few of our goals.”
Important weapon
That link-up play with Doumbia was an important weapon for CSKA as they edged Zenit St Petersburg to the Russian Premier League title last season. Doumbia scored 18 goals to top the goalscoring charts with Dzagoev his chief supplier. In fact, Dzagoev’s 36 key passes came at a rate of one every 42 minutes – placing him among the top 10 most regular chance creators in the country.
Doumbia was only fit enough for the bench in Moscow but came on to score and then win a penalty as he inspired a comeback that leaves City so precariously placed in Group E. The prospect of Doumbia and Dzagoev both being fit and available ought to be a concern. It’s just not happened enough for CSKA so far this season.
Such is the customary stop-start nature of his career to date that after signing a new contract until 2019 in the summer, Dzagoev has made a quiet start to the current campaign. CSKA lost the first two matches in which he started and a three-match Champions League suspension has further limited his impact.
But he bounced back with a goal and two assists in a thrilling 4-3 away win over FC Ural while operating in a holding role earlier this month and has since delivered a further assist in a 6-0 thrashing of Kuban Krasnodar. Another goal in a cup win over Torpedo Moscow last week hints that Dzagoev is coming into form and could be in the mood to influence things at the Etihad.
Of course, City are strong favourites and should have more than enough. After picking up just two points from their first three matches, the home side know that nothing less than a win is required if they are to progress to the knockout stages. Pellegrini will want a predictable night ahead. The problem for the City coach is that Alan Dzagoev is anything but predictable.
Watch Manchester City versus CSKA Moscow this Wednesday live on Sky Sports 5 HD (7.45pm kick off)