Edin Dzeko insists it is the glamour of nights like Tuesday that attracted a galaxy of stars to Manchester City rather than the vast riches on offer at the Eastlands outfit.

City's second game in their debut Champions League campaign has taken them to the Allianz Arena, where they will face a Bayern Munich side that has won the European Cup on four occasions and reached the final only two seasons ago.

It is a tie between a team playing its 151st game in the competition and one playing in its second, and the one which immediately caught the eye when the group stage draw was made last month and confirms City's new-found status among Europe's elite.

And this, more than money, is what drives Dzeko and his team-mates on.

"It is not about money,'' said the Bosnian.

"It is playing against clubs like Bayern Munich, one of the best in the world. That is why we all came to Manchester City.''

Dzeko reported that he won in the stadium once during his Wolfsburg days but conceded his overall record against the German giants is "not good".

A very similar sentiment could be expressed about the performance of English clubs in Munich.

Of 15 trips to face Bayern in competitive combat, only once has a team emerged victorious, the accolade belonging to Norwich in a UEFA Cup second-round encounter 18 years ago.

And this particular tie does not promise to be easy for the Blues either given Bayern have just completed a run of nine games in all competitions without conceding a goal.

Nevertheless, Mancini refuses to be intimidated and insists his team can win.

He said: "Why not?
"We are not here to lose. We know it will be difficult but we want to win if possible.

"I am certainly satisfied with the progress we have made, even if we need to improve a lot.

"This is the second game for us in the Champions League. Now we are a good team.

"But if we want to arrive on the top like Bayern Munich, who have such a big history, we need to work very hard.''

Bayern have won their last six Bundesliga matches without conceding a single goal, scoring 21 in the process.

But coach Jupp Heynckes believes that will count for nothing.

"It is going to be a real challenge for us,'' he admitted.

"Manchester City are currently on a par with Manchester United, and that says enough really.

"They are a top European team. I am very impressed by them.''

Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has not conceded a goal in 838 minutes of football, but he recognises how big an achievement it would be to prevent Mancini`s men from putting one past him.

"No team has really put our defence under pressure yet, but I expect them to test us,'' Neuer said.

"It is important that we pick something up as that would take us a huge step forwards.''

Match

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/sep/26/roberto-mancini-bayern-munich

Lets go there Bayern.

it will be tight but Bayern will eventually carry the day.

, cos bayern is a champions league side, right?

this should be the star match of today. expect lots of fireworks

Will watch this match by God's grace, if only because of DK

And of course, I'm all for Bayern!!!

I'm all for City. Tear a hole in them Nazi's behind.

Fawking Hitlers

@dipo+

You can see how extremely stupid,low level and foolish you are for that statement, what does FC Bayern vs Man City to do with Nazi? you´re soooo stupid! Myyyy God!

@munchener

I am not slighted by your statement one bit. If you had any sense of humour u won't call me all those names.
My post was clearly a joke. Pls pass on on a comment u don't like instead of resorting to name-calling. Senseless arguments and fight ensue when people think they should reply to every and all comments.

Munshit are fawking Nazis. Leave NLand if that gets your goat

Arjen Robben the Damager!

@dipo+

Well I agree with you with the "no calling each other names thing" but you should first practice what you preach or believe, if you call the Müncheners Nazis, you should expect someone else to disrespect you also. You´re a broth and I´m a Nigerian too. If you look at the FC Bayern team properly, you´ll see that there are immigrants/players of immigrant descent among them. I´m a Münchener and if you agree with me that I´m a Nigerian but a die-hard FC Baern fan, you´ll realize that you´ve just thrown a stone into the market that hit one of your people. We can call the British, French, Dutch & Americans names as well for colonization and slavery-but where does it take us? this is just football and it´s got nothing to do with Hitler. Have you ever had an experience with a German linked to Hitler? Most likely not, So your joke is too much off the line. An average German is a friendly and neutral person and they don´t see us as poor low brain-slave metality victims as the Americans or British do. Even though they´re not perfect, Germans know black people/Africans in a different way so just let´s leave the Hitler thing out of it-especially in football. I think there´s no need to fight, we should just enjoy the game " egall who wins d game"

miasanmia!!!

Am a core bayern munich fan and i support them all the way.Munich 4 life.Do us proud.Munich 5-0 goals by(supermario.Supermario.Supermario.Supermario.Supermario)

I would take any kind of win today

where them dey? I mean citey?

Whats citey's European pedigree?

The team doesnt have a pedigree but the consituent players have a pedigree.

if you put messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Robben and Rooney in Hull City you cant be asking for Hull City's pedigree

Bayern Munich 3 - 1 City

Nuff Said! Them no be mate

Silva will so toy with Bayern's defence.

medjai:

Silva will so toy with Bayern's defence.

make we dey look

Neuer
Rafinha, van Buyten, Boateng, Lahm
Gustavo, Schweinsteiger
Müller, Kroos, Ribery
Gomez

subs: Butt, Contento, Alaba, Tymoshchuk, Robben, Usami, Petersen

Lets Go Boys. No Badstuber no Robben in the starting line up.

Our attack would mainly come from the left.

I am scared for Buyten vs those fast City attackers

Man City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, K Toure, Clichy, Barry, Y Toure, Nasri, Aguero, Silva, Dzeko. Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Lescott, Milner, Kolarov, Tevez, De Jong.

I dey looku I nor talk.

see penalty o

see penalty o

Man city initial gra gra don stop, Bayern is draining them with passes and possession, they seem tired now.

na Barry dey misuse these guys like this ?

See useless Kroos unable to take the chance Clichy dashed him.

No be Phil Lahm Richards dey violate like this?

Ribery is raping City's defense ooo

fine break away by Ribery

That was a huge misss by sabastine.s