Manchester City (0-2-2) will face off against Real Madrid (2-1-1) in a Group D match of the Champions League at Etihad Stadium.

While Madrid remains relevant sitting in second place behind Borussia Dortmund, it's Man City who clearly has their backs against the wall, sitting in dead last.

The possibility of Man City advancing into the next round appears slim to none, as many fans have began to turn their attention to the football club's pursuits in the Europa League

While the team's overall performance over the past two years has been a disappointment, manager Robert Mancini still has high hopes for the troubled Mario Balotelli. Earlier in the month, Mancini made a controversial decision to leave the up-and-coming star off the squad against Tottenham due to what he called a poor attitude. 

Despite their differences in the past, the manager did express his admiration for the youngster's play, insisted to the Telegraph that the 22-year-old could very well be Man City's version of Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Mario, outside the pitch, is a fantastic guy. Sometimes he doesn't understand which is your job, and how his job is important for his life, but I hope for him that he can understand this quickly," Mancini said.

"Now he is 22 but life can go quickly and I hope he can improve everything because as a player he could be like Cristiano and Messi, if he understands that to be like this you should work hard, your mind should be always on your job, not on the other things that are not important. I am very sorry for him for this."

CLICK HERE to watch Real Madrid take on Manchester City via free live stream. Coverage of the game will begin at 8:45 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Nov. 21.

Tags: Champions League International Soccer