LeeDixon

[u]Manchester City v Dortmund - 19:45, Live on Sky Sports 2[/u] Manchester City thought they had done everything necessary to pull off a famous victory in the Bernabeu. Then disaster struck and they flew back to England devastated. That's the way it goes in this competition - you can have all the money but the teams who compete for Europe's prize over many seasons keep plugging away and can often turn things around when their opponents look like 1.01 certainties. Manchester United, Madrid and Barcelona have all done it. Now City need to take three points against this talented Dortmund side. Last season, the Blues failed to do themselves justice in the Champions League. If they lose this, which I don't believe they will, the competition could pass them by again. Roberto Mancini's...

Early Champions League games can be cagey, twitchy affairs but with two powerhouses of European football coming face to face I'm expecting a full-on affair. City would snap your hand off for a draw, but it could be a good time to play Madrid. They are struggling a bit at the moment, coming off the back of a defeat to Sevilla over the weekend and currently sitting in tenth in La Liga. There will be plenty of pressure on Madrid from the home fans and this will only increase if City can make a good start. It was the start that set the tone of Sevilla's victory over Real - they put Madrid under pressure from the first whistle and, most importantly, got players around Xabi Alonso. The former Liverpool man is a massive player for Madrid; he sets the tempo and is comfortable playing it...

There was steely resolve about Manchester City's victories over Manchester United and Newcastle which makes me think that they aren't about to blow this golden opportunity to win their first league title for over 40 years. Earlier in the season, the Blues blew away opponents but, in recent weeks, they've ground out results with the focus and professionalism that gets titles won. Sir Alex is ruing United's defeat at Wigan and the draw against Everton but, if it comes down to goal difference, that 6-1 drubbing against City back in October can be seen as a major factor in the destiny of the title. Roberto Mancini changed the formation against Newcastle and showed tactical acuity when his side needed second-half goals. He's had a full in-tray to deal with this term, managing massive expectations...

I'm not surprised that Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed Monday night's match as the biggest Manchester derby in his time as United manager. I grew up supporting City and, while local bragging rights were hotly contested around our way, I can't remember a match between the two clubs with so much at stake. So far this season, they've played three (including the Community Shield) with United winning two and City one, although I think the Blues' 6-1 rout at Old Trafford counts for a lot. Before Christmas it looked like this was City's title to lose, then they fell apart and Sir Alex's men seized the initiative. Like most pundits, I'd written City off. How wrong I was. Last Sunday's extraordinary 4-4 between United and Everton handed the initiative back to their rivals. The upshot is a mouthwatering...

Chelsea are on a roll. Is it that the players just didn't want to play for Andre Villas-Boas and simply didn't perform when he was there? Is it that they're desperate for Roberto Di Matteo to be given the job on a full-time basis? Or is that the likes of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, often left out in the cold when AVB was in charge, just make this a far better team when they're in the starting XI? It's probably a bit of all three but the truth is Chelsea are looking a completely different side to that of a month ago. People will have plenty to say about player power and the dangers of it but, without actually knowing what went on behind the scenes and in the dressing room, it's hard to guess to what extent it does actually exist at the club. One thing is for sure: the Chelsea squad...

Having made light work of defending champions FC Porto in the Europa League on Wednesday, Manchester City turn their attentions back to the Premier League in the late kick-off on Saturday. With all due respect to Blackburn, a home tie against them is just the sort of match that they'd want after a two-week absence from league commitments. City will look at this match and their approach will be something along the lines of "Right, that's three points in the bag. Who's up next?". Some will say that borders on complacency, others will say it's arrogance but if you take the view that you're a champion team, you've got to have that sort of self-belief. I don't think they'll have too many problems disposing of Blackburn but let's try and find some good value bets that reflect City's dominance. [u]City...

I was a little surprised that Roberto Mancini didn't make a move for a central defender in the January transfer window. That's the one area where I feel they may be lacking an extra player. It was notable that the suspension of Vincent Kompany coincided with a spell of conceding four goals in two matches (two at home to Spurs, two away at Liverpool in the Carling Cup) with the inexperienced Stefan Savic thrown in at the deep end and showing that perhaps he's just not quite ready to be playing at this level yet. But Mancini obviously feels that with Kompany, Joleon Lescott and Kolo Toure, who returns from international duty at the end of the month, he has enough cover. And he should know. I'm not entirely sure where exactly on-loan David Pizarro fits into his plans for the remainder of...

Manchester City's win over Tottenham just over a week ago raised plenty of talking points, none more so than whether Mario Balotelli should have still been on the pitch to win and convert the penalty that won City the match. I think I was one of the few who wasn't so sure whether his alleged stamp on Scott Parker was deliberate. It may well have been of course but I think there was enough uncertainty to give him the benefit of the doubt. Would that have been the case if it involved another player? I guess we'll never know but there's no doubt that City will miss Balotelli and his goals for the remainder of his ban. The former Inter Milan man is a huge talent; at times he seems to find the game of professional football effortless and appears to just stroll through matches and still be...

We have said for a long time that there was going to be a blip in Manchester City's season. Well, here it is. But is it major blip? I'm not so sure. The goals have dried up, while a few defeats have interrupted what was previously serene progress and the injuries and suspensions are beginning to bite. Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany are going to be missed while the mercurial David Silva is carrying an ankle strain. But there are many other big names at the club who arrived for big money and now is their chance to make an impact. That means players like Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko waking up and showing why City paid for them in the first place. Both revelled in the early weeks of the season as City flew out the blocks but neither is showing their best at present. City have enough ...