Confidence high for Stamford Bridge test

City preview

MANCHESTER City head into this weekend’s Premier League clash at Chelsea safe in the knowledge they are almost guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.

Danish side Aalborg BK have surely had their bacon after they lost 2-0 in the first leg of their last-16 match at Eastlands last night.

Mark Hughes says Sunday’s match at Stamford Bridge will be a big test in terms of how City have progressed, but admits he would have preferred to have played Chelsea before they struck a rich vein of form under stand-in manager Guus Hiddink.

The City chief said: “We are in good shape confidence wise, which you need to be when you face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

“They are in decent form themselves and it is a big test for us, but one we are looking forward to.

“We met them earlier in the season when we weren’t quite up to the mark and we did not compete as well as we wanted to.

“We are a different team now, and I am sure we will give them a good game.”

The only criticism of City last night was that they did not win by a more emphatic margin.

They created enough chances to have made next Thursday’s return leg academic against an Aalborg team which drew 2-2 at Old Trafford in the Champions League earlier this season.

City took the lead in the fourth minute with a terrific goal from young Ecuadorian striker Felipe Caicedo, who displayed raw power to turn Michael Jakobsen before firing home.

Shaun Wright-Phllips added a second goal with a spectacular strike on the half hour.

But despite some sublime approach play from Wright-Phillips, Robinho and Stephen Ireland, City were unable to build on their two-goal advantage and they will be hoping those missed chances don’t come back to haunt them next week.