Defender Gael Clichy remains confident that Manchester City can overcome a poor start to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The Citizens welcome CSKA Moscow to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening in the knowledge that they need a victory to keep alive any realistic hopes of progressing from Group E.

Clichy and co go into the game with just two points from their opening three European fixtures this season, having lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich before being held to draws by both Roma and CSKA.

And now the time has arrived when City simply must secure victory, with Clichy well aware of just what is needed against the Russians.

He told his club’s official website: “The past is the past and there is no point dwelling on how things have gone for us so far, we have to look forward and remain positive.

“We know we have the quality to beat anyone home or away and we are really confident we can still progress, but we have to perform from the first minute against CSKA.”

City, who had fallen at the group stage in the previous two seasons, made the knockout stages last term for the first time, but were beaten 4-1 on aggregate by Barcelona in the last 16.

And Clichy, whose side are 1.90 to qualify from Group E and 12.00 to reach the Champions League final, believes that a club of City’s rising stature must impress outside the domestic environment, adding: “A team like us should go through and do well in Europe.”