Source: SKY_Sports
De Jong - City can beat Hamburg
Nigel de Jong is hoping home advantage will help Manchester City knock former club Hamburg out of the Uefa Cup.
City play host to Hamburg in the second leg of the quarter-final tie on Thursday night and are aiming to overturn a 3-1 deficit.
Though City scored inside 60 seconds in Germany, the Premier League club were indebted to goalkeeper Shay Given for keeping the score down.
De Jong accepts Hamburg are favourites to advance to the last four, but believes City are capable of upsetting the odds.
"HSV are the favourites to go through, they showed that in the first leg," De Jong told Bild. "They really made a strong impression there, but I am not surprised by this.
"The team has been strong all the way through this season and is now playing with a lot of confidence - and confidence is important to success.
"Still, I feel we could win the match 2-0. We are playing at home and, despite the fact that losing 3-1 at Hamburg was a tough blow, anything is possible now we are playing at home."
City have endured an indifferent campaign and January signing De Jong is hoping to help manager Mark Hughes lay a platform for next season.
The Dutch midfielder added: "The owner told me they really do not expect to claim trophies so early, and the results are not as they should be.
"The whole season looks a bit fragile. We are winning at home, but we are losing away from home. We have to try to build something up next season."
Meanwhile, Hamburg's defensive duo Collin Benjamin and Guy Demel will miss the second leg of the tie due to thigh problems.
However, Martin Jol will have David Jarolim available after the Hamburg skipper missed the Bundesliga game against Stuttgart at the weekend through suspension.
