Man City face home truths in Sevilla test

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has acknowledged that his team must improve their Champions League home form ahead of Wednesday's encounter with Europa League holders Sevilla.

 City are level on points with Sevilla after two games and with last season's beaten finalists Juventus three points clear, a shootout for second place in Group D is already taking shape.

 City lost 2-1 to Juventus in their opening match at the Etihad Stadium and have won only three of their last 12 home games in the competition, but while aware of their travails on home turf, Pellegrini says minds are fixed only on defeating Sevilla.

 "I don't know the exact statistics, but they are the numbers and of course we must improve," he told Tuesday's eve-of-match media conference.

 "But we are just thinking about one game, not what happened in the past. We play against a difficult team and we hope we can win.

 "All the other things are statistics or history that will not help us to win or lose. I cannot talk about that."

 Pellegrini is without injured talisman Sergio Aguero, whose 90th-minute penalty at Borussia Moenchengladbach enabled City to get off the mark in the group with a 2-1 win on their last outing.

 David Silva, Fabian Delph and Gael Clichy are also injured, but Pellegrini saw his rejigged team comprehensively dismantle promoted Bournemouth 5-1 in the Premier League last Saturday.

 Wilfried Bony, deputising for Aguero up front, scored twice, while Raheem Sterling claimed a hat-trick as City made it 11 goals in two games following their 6-1 thrashing of Newcastle United before the international break.

 Pellegrini has also been boosted by the return of Aleksandar Kolarov, who has recovered from a hamstring problem and could come into the team in place of auxiliary left-back Bacary Sagna.

 Skipper Vincent Kompany is in line for a comeback after being rested against Bournemouth, while Pellegrini has allayed fears about the fitness of Yaya Toure after he was taken off at half-time.