Barcelona vs Manchester City
Competition: 2013/2014 UEFA Champions League, Round of 16, 2nd Leg
Competition: 2013/2014 UEFA Champions League, Round of 16, 2nd Leg
Barcelona enter Wednesday's Champions League 2nd leg with a commanding
2-0 lead after dispatching the Citizens comfortably on their own turf.
Camp Nou is a fortress for the Catalonian club, always creating an
intimidating atmosphere for opponents in games of this stature. However,
Barcelona fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Real Valladolid,
casting their La Liga title hopes in serious doubt. Andres Iniesta
missed that encounter due to a family bereavement and isn't expected to
make it back for this game. But arguably the best midfield in the world
has more than suitable replacements for the pint-sized wizard and should
control the majority of possession per usual. Expect Neymar to feature
off the bench once again, especially if the game looks in doubt for the
hosts. But it shouldn't come to that, as Barcelona have failed to win
just twice this season in all competitions at Camp Nou.
Man City team enter this match in similar fashion to Barca, having played out a disappointing 2-1 loss to Wigan in the F.A. Cup quarterfinals. To be fair, the Citizens should've put away at least 4, but Sergio Aguero looked rusty around the net to say the least (but the Argentinian striker is perhaps the one player who can turn this Champions League tie around). The Citizens have gone unbeaten in their last 11 matches on the road, but a commanding win is necessary. They did manage a 3-2 victory in Munich in the final group game, so the capability is there with so much talent on the roster. But experience means so much in this competition, which Barcelona has in abundance compared to Man City. Look for Yaya Toure to have a more meaningful impact than in the first leg, but to no avail by the end of 90 minutes. Jovetic and Nastasic are out, while Demichellis is suspended after picking up a red card in the first leg.
Man City team enter this match in similar fashion to Barca, having played out a disappointing 2-1 loss to Wigan in the F.A. Cup quarterfinals. To be fair, the Citizens should've put away at least 4, but Sergio Aguero looked rusty around the net to say the least (but the Argentinian striker is perhaps the one player who can turn this Champions League tie around). The Citizens have gone unbeaten in their last 11 matches on the road, but a commanding win is necessary. They did manage a 3-2 victory in Munich in the final group game, so the capability is there with so much talent on the roster. But experience means so much in this competition, which Barcelona has in abundance compared to Man City. Look for Yaya Toure to have a more meaningful impact than in the first leg, but to no avail by the end of 90 minutes. Jovetic and Nastasic are out, while Demichellis is suspended after picking up a red card in the first leg.
Possible line-ups:
Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes – Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba – Busquets, Xavi, Fabregas – Pedro, Sanchez, Neymar.
Manchester City (4-4-2): Hart – Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov – Silva, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Silva – Aguero, Negredo.
Manchester City (4-4-2): Hart – Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov – Silva, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Silva – Aguero, Negredo.
Match date: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Kick Off Time: 19:45 GMT - 20:45 CET
Venue: Estadio Camp Nou, Barcelona - Spain
Kick Off Time: 19:45 GMT - 20:45 CET
Venue: Estadio Camp Nou, Barcelona - Spain
