Man City to test Barca
For the second year running, Manchester City FC and FC Barcelona meet in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League — with the English side hoping for a different outcome than 12 months ago when Barcelona won 4-1 on aggregate.
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Manchester City have been on a steep learning curve in the Champions League but this evening's last 16 first-leg clash with four-time European kings, Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium offers a chance to show they are now serious contenders.
A year after that embarrassing loss, City are approaching the tie with growing optimism, even if they will be missing midfield talisman Yaya Toure tonight as he completes a three-match suspension for his red card against CSKA Moscow.
After finding their creative edge blunted in recent months, City's attacking flair returned with a vengeance as they crushed Newcastle United 5-0 in the Premier League last Saturday. In contrast, Barca's lethal-looking frontline misfired badly at the weekend as their 11-match unbeaten run ended in a surprise 1-0 defeat by a well-drilled Malaga side.
City's run to the last 16 a year ago was their best effort in the competition after two successive failures to survive the group stage and they will be buoyed by the way they sneaked into the knockout round this time, beating Bayern Munich and AS Roma.
Both of those victories were recorded without Toure.
In Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Samir Nasri, Manuel Pellegrini's City side can score goals but keeping Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez quiet, as well as having 11 men on the pitch unlike last season, will be the key.
Messi scored in both legs last term and has recently been in scintillating form again, even if he was subdued against Malaga.
Barca defender Gerard Pique says City's natural propensity to attack could play into his side's hands as they seek an eighth successive place in the quarterfinals. — Reuters