Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has conceded that he is baffled at why his players cannot perform on the Champions League stage.
The Premier League champions lost 2-1 at home to Russian side CSKA Moscow on Wednesday night in a result which leaves them looking highly likely to be eliminated from the competition.
Two goals from Seydou Doumbia cancelled out Yaya Toure’s free-kick in a game which has left coach Manuel Pellegrini scratching his head as to why his side cannot perform on Europe’s grandest stage.
He said: “All of them are important players so I don’t understand why they cannot play in the Champions League, but we must review a lot of things to understand why it was such a low performance.”
City are now bottom of the group and face Bayern Munich and Roma in their final two games but despite the tough opposition; Pellegrini believes his side can still qualify.
He added: “If you have a mathematical chance to qualify you must try for it. We will see. First we must try to beat QPR, then we have an international break and after that of course will try to qualify for the next stage.
“It is more difficult but not impossible.”