The last time Manchester City had to head to Russia, they returned back to England with all three points after a Sergio Aguero double was enough to dispatch CSKA Moscow.
However, this time around, the reigning Premier League champions were unable to hang onto their 2-0 lead as their opponents came back into the game to salvage a draw, with the penalty given being quite controversial, much to the annoyance of coach Manuel Pellegrini.
Moreover, the Russian outfit had allowed a gathering of their supporters to enter the stadium, despite being slapped with a stadium ban due to racist behavior on the part of their fans, and Pellegrini didn't dispute the possibility of the questionable penalty being given due to their presence.
Questionable: Joe Hart was unable to keep out the Russian side's spot kick that forced City to settle for a draw
Hence, City will now have to re-group as they will welcome CSKA Moscow to the Etihad in a few weeks and will need to be able to hang on for all three points this time around.
Here's how the table looks after the first three rounds of action in Group E:
On the bright side, Manchester City do have a lifeline as Roma were subject to a 7-1 humiliation at the hands of a rampant Bayern Munich, and should they earn a win against the Russians in their next meeting, could overtake the Giallorossi in second place.
