Gerard Piqué was in an optimistic mood ahead of the visit to the Etihad and claimed that the home defeat at the hands of Málaga is already forgotten.

Praise for the opposition. “It’s the most important game of the year. City are one of the world’s top five clubs”.

Doubts. “We’re at such a big club that when you lose, you get questioned even if you’ve won 11 games on the spin. The idea of failing doesn’t come into our heads. We’re playing at a good level and are just thinking about getting a good result”.

Málaga. “The loss the other day wasn’t as painful as the one at the Anoeta. The team are playing well, but the one at the Anoeta was harder to take because Real Madrid had just lost and we weren’t able to win to cut the gap”.

Controversial casino visit with Messi and Fàbregas. “A friend from London came and we had a good time”.

Key aspects. “We have to take it very seriously, defend well and make the most of the players that we have up front. We want to have the ball, but our possession will depend on how they play too. We’ll try to take advantage of any space they give us, it’s easier to attack when there’s space than when there isn’t”.

Yaya Touré. “It makes a difference when he does and doesn’t play, but we have to worry about ourselves, keep the ball and snuff out their counterattacks”.

Silva. “He’s the player who makes things happen. His technical ability is staggering”.

 Source MARCA