1. David Silva/Samir Nasri vs Kirill Nababkin/Georgi Schennikov
The wide battle for City plots two established internationals against a pair of Russians with a mere four caps between them. Fabio Capello has steered the national team to the World Cup, but the fullback berths seem wide open. Yuzi Zhirkov, once of Chelsea, has struggled with injury at Dynamo Moscow this term whilst Aleksandr Anyukov has been in and out of Zenit St Petersburg's team. CSKA duo Nababkin and Schennikov must seize this opportunity with both hands. They can impress Capello by stopping Silva and Nasri from supplying Aguero and Negredo. It's easier said than done. Silva has six assists and Nasri five, and the City pair pop up with the odd goal or two in off the flanks. CSKA may want to tuck the fullbacks in so that the penalty area is compact when out of possession, but doing so will cede the wide positions to Kolarov and Clichy. Slutsky has a tactical pickle on his hands here. Being tough to break down is certainly a tempting approach, but a battling draw at the Etihad may not be enough in the grand scheme of things as City would maintain a three point advantage over CSKA. Have your say on the tactical battles below.
Jamie Clark is a qualified Web Journalist after undergoing professional training at the University of Sheffield. A prolific and accredited sports writer, he also enjoys classic comedy, historic fiction, 80s music and heritage.
