Man City relies on opponents in CL

MANCHESTER - The Associated Press

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If money alone determined the outcome of the Champions League, Manchester City would already be through to the knockout stage and wondering which team it would beat next.

Instead, the Premier League leader’s expensively assembled squad is relying on a surprise result elsewhere to even have a chance of making out of the group stage in its first season in the tournament.
City has won only two of its five matches so far and must beat Group A winner Bayern Munich in the final group match tonight. It also needs a Villarreal side fighting relegation in Spain to at least record its first point in this season’s Champions League against Napoli.

“We need to improve upon what we’ve achieved already,” City playmaker David Silva said.
City is cruising in the Premier League but manager Roberto Mancini has so far been unable to translate that domestic form into Champions League success.

Whatever City does, Napoli can advance with a victory over Villarreal, which has scored only two goals and taken no points from five Champions League matches. If City and Napoli finish level on points, the Italian side will progress courtesy of its superior head-to-head record.

Although Napoli won the 1989 UEFA Cup, with Diego Maradona even leading the club to Italian league titles in 1987 and 1990, the Serie A team never reached the last 16 of the old European Cup.