CSKA Moscow will host English Premier League side Manchester City on macthday 3 of the UEFA Champions League.

CSKA manager Leonid Slutski knows that this fixture will not ultimately determine their fate in the group stages but will have a bit of an impact should they go the distance on jockeying for second place.

"We will have 11 players out on the pitch and our aim will be to get a positive result. It is a very important game for us and it will make the situation in the group a lot clearer," Slutski told uefa.com.

"Neither team will qualify or be eliminated after the game, but it will be crucial in terms of our hopes of making the knockout stage."

"The third and fourth matches in the group are always key. There is an obvious favourite in our group, so the fixtures between us and Manchester City will decide who qualifies in second place."

Slutski demonstrated the depth that City has and the strength that comes with it.

"They have a really strong squad; for example, I don't know who will line up on the left and right of defence," he said.

"It could be Micah Richards or Pablo Zabaleta, and it could be Gaël Clichy or Aleksandar Kolarov."

He revealed that his squad should play at a high tempo as well as win individual battles in order to have a chance of defeating City.

Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini knows that CSKA are no pushovers and that his squad should ready themselves for an intense battle on the pitch.

"CSKA are a very strong side, they are heavyweights in Russia," said Pellegrini.

Pellegrini sees a slight advantage to his squad's favour in cases of playing away from home.

"I saw their games against FC Zenit St Petersburg last Saturday, Plzeň and FC Bayern München. I think we play better in away games in the Champions League rather than in the English Premier League."

Starting 11:

Manchester City FC: Hart, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Nastasić, Javi García, Jesús Navas, Silva, Fernandinho, Touré, Negredo, Agüero

Bench: Pantilimon, Richards, Lescott, Clichy, Nasri, Džeko, Jovetić

CSKA Moskva: Akinfeev, Ignashevich, Nababkin, V. Berezutski, Schennikov, Wernbloom, Honda, Zuber, Tošić, Milanov, Doumbia

Bench: Chepchugov, Vasin, A. Berezutski, González, Rahimić, Musa, Vitinho

Schedule and Free Live Online Streaming (Link will be provided an hour before kick-off):

October 24, 2013 - 2 am (AEST)

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