Two of Europe's most potent attacking teams face off in what promises to be a mouth-watering affair at the City of Manchester stadium tomorrow. The aim? A place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Manuel Pellegrini has finally been able to achieve, with relative ease, what seemed impossible to previous coach Roberto Mancini. City were virtually unstoppable in the group stages, with a win over defending champions Bayern Munich at the Munich stadium proof of the quality of their team.
Barcelona, on the other hand, have enormous pedigree in the Champions League, winning three of the previous eight competitions. However, since the exit of Pep Guardiola, their grip on Europe's elite competition has loosened considerably as proven by their 7-0 humbling by Bayern Munich in last year's semi-final. A shaky group stage campaign this time around, which included a defeat to 10-man Ajax, affirms that the Spanish side no longer sits at the top of the European football landscape.
And while City will be buoyed by their 2-0 dismantling of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea in the F.A. cup over the weekend, Barcelona have much more experience at this stage of the Champions League, and also come pumped up into the game thanks to their 6-0 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano in the La Liga.
Manchester City will no longer be scared of Barcelona, but they would be making a serious mistake if they underestimate the defending La Liga champions.
KICK-OFF: Tuesday, 18th February, 2014. 7:45pm
PAST MEETINGS: Barcelona 0 Manchester City 1, August 2009 (Pre-season friendly)
PLAYERS: Manchester City will be without top scorer Sergio Aguero (hamstring) while Fernandinho (thigh) remains doubtful. Barcelona, on the other hand, will be delighted with the goalscoring return from injury of Brazilian star Neymar, while Lionel Messi continued his comeback with a brace against Vallecano.
ODDS: Home advantage will be key in the first leg, although City will terribly miss the absence of Sergio Aguero and possibly Fernandinho, who have been two important players for them this season. Even considering that, I'm gonna go for a City win, because they have much to prove about their status as one of Europe's top teams. Leave your predictions in the comments section below.
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