VAN DIJK IS ON RED ALERT FOR BELGRADE’S STARS
PEP: FANS DON’T MAKE US FEEL SPECIAL IN EUROPE
THIS will be the third meeting between Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City, with the sides having of the also faced off in the group stages Champions League last season. SERGIO AGUERO has played 49 and Champions League games for City, make could become their first player to 50 appearances in the competition. the AGUERO has scored 22 goals in for Champions League group stages City – only Didier Drogba (23 for club. Chelsea) has more for an English SHAKHTAR have never lost a home match against English sides in Europe (W5 D2), with their most recent such game a 2-1 win against City in the Champions League last season. last MAN CITY have won four of their two. six CL away games, losing the other one CITY have only failed to score in of their last 15 Champions League to group stage games – a 4-0 defeat Barcelona in October 2016.
vGroup C, Tomorrow, 8pm VIRGIL VAN DIJK knows Liverpool must be switched on when they face Red Star Belgrade tomorrow.
They nearly slipped up against winless Huddersfield despite Jurgen Klopp’s warnings that the FROM BACK PAGE win. You have to have many circumstances. You have to have experience and still we don’t have enough in some moments.
“It’s not enough that the manager wants to win it. It’s not just the players.
“You have to have the desire, the club, chairman, owner, the fans, everyone has to push to be closer, to achieve the next stage.
“When it happens, everyone will feel it.
“It’s one important thing to win this kind of title, but you have to be pushed, not just by the manager, by everyone surrounding Manchester City we have to win it – and still we don’t have that feeling.
“The feeling that the fans are pushing, that we have to game was “a 100 per cent trap”. Van Dijk (right) says the players know they must be fully focused against Red Star at Anfield as they look for the win to get their Champions League group campaign back on track.
The Serbian champions are unbeaten in their league and the Dutch centre-half said: “We need to respect the opponent. They win the Champions League. Normally what happens is you get closer, that’s why I feel we are a really good team, it’s a pleasure to work with them.
“But in this competition you need something special – and still I don’t feel it.”
Guardiola has not won the Champions League since 2011 when he was Barcelona boss and City need a win to boost their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
He added:
“Every year we’ll be closer and sooner or later it’s going to happen.” are in the Champions League – the best competition in Europe apart from the Premier League – and it will be a hard game. We will need to be 100 per cent and I think we will be.
“Against Huddersfield, we should have done even better. We kept a clean sheet, which is good, but could have made it easier for ourselves. We need to win every game. There is no other mindset.”
Sadio Mane, who missed the Huddersfield trip, made himself available after coming through a tough work-out in training.
The winger underwent surgery last week to sort out complications with a broken thumb and is likely to wear a lightweight cast for the tie.