Date: Tuesday, February 18 Venue: Etihad Stadium Kick-Off: 19:45 Manchester City welcome Spanish giants Barcelona to Etihad Stadium tonight for the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.
Team News
Manchester City could welcome Fernandinho back into the side after the midfielder missed his side's last three matches with a muscle problem. However, top goalscorer Sergio Aguero remains out with a hamstring injury, though may be fit for the second leg at the Nou Camp. Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino has no new injury concerns. Neymar has returned from an ankle injury after being sidelined since early January, and scored in his side's 6-0 win over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. (BBC)
Key Stats
Manchester City and Barcelona have never played in a competitive match before - although the two sides have each won three out of six friendlies. This is City's first ever foray into the knock-out stages of the Champions League. Barca won the competition in 2009 and 2011 but have failed to make it past the semi-finals since. City average 3.5 goals at home this season, the equal highest in Europes top five leagues, while Barcelona average 2.25 goals away. Lionel Messi has scored six goals in his last six games against English opposition. (Independent)
Likely Line-Ups
Man City Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Nasri, Toure, Fernandinho, Silva, Negredo, Dzeko Barcelona Valdes, Alves, Puyol, Pique, Alba, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Pedro, Messi, Sanchez
Match Preview
When these two sides were paired together in the Champions League last 16 draw in Nyon back on December 16, it instantly became the tie of the round. Manchester City vs Barcelona, two sides who love to play vibrant, attacking football and have been two of the continent's most exciting teams to watch this season. City have scored 68 goals in 25 league games so far this season, the highest in the English top-flight, while Barca warmed up for this game by thumping Rayo Vallecano 6-0 on Saturday. Both are in good shape, and an intriguing sub-plot to this Hollywood blockbuster is the fact the two have never faced each other in a competitive game, though the links are there. Txiki Begiristain, former director of football at Barca, is now plying his trade at the Etihad, as is midfielder Yaya Toure, who spent three years at the Nou Camp. And Citizens boss Manuel Pellegrini is certainly no stranger to the Spanish champions, having bossed Malaga and Barcelona's fierce rivals Real Madrid. Yet it will be interesting to see how City fare against the Catalans, who perhaps pose the sternest challenge to their aspirations of an unprecedented quadruple. The Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup are still within the Citizen's cross-heirs, and Barca may serve as the barometer as to whether this haul is achievable. City personnel have come out fighting this week with claims they have nothing to fear but Lionel Messi has scored a fearsome six goals in his last six games against English opponents. And Neymar, out since early January, has returned to full fitness and has started showing flashes of his individual brilliance by netting in that rout over Vallecano. I think Barcelona will win over two legs, but I'm going for a draw tonight. Prediction: 1-1
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
