The build up to Manchester City v FC Barcelona Champions League (week 15) is well and truly under way with coach of the Premier League champions Manchester City Manuel Pellegrini and attacking midfielder Samir Nasri appearing before the press on Monday. The Chilean and the Frenchman looked ahead to the first leg of their side’s last 16 tie against Barça, insisting they are confident of their chances of making it past the blaugranes. Pellegrini promises @MCFC will attack from the start against @fcbarcelona, although the two clubs met last season in exactly the same stage of the competition with FC Barcelona the ones who made it through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Both Pellegrini and Nasri are adamant that this season “it will be very different.”
LAMPARD: CITY CAN WIN IT
Back to our Champions League build-up and Manchester Citymidfielder Frank Lampard thinks the Premier League champions are capable of defeating Barcelona and going on to win the tournament.
Back to our Champions League build-up and Manchester Citymidfielder Frank Lampard thinks the Premier League champions are capable of defeating Barcelona and going on to win the tournament.
Lampard said: "We are certainly aware about what a big game it is . It is a situation we want to take on, we want to show you can get past Barcelona and try and advance all the way to the final.
"I think maybe Man City would be disappointed in recent years with where they have got to in the Champions League but for me it is coming.
"I think that there are five or six teams that are in contention. Barcelona and Manchester City are two of them."
Meanwhile, it is less than two hours until kick-off at the Etihad!
Look at this highly anticipated encounter i most say Manchester City's Manuel Pellegrini may be using his statements to the press on Monday to boost team moral as they prepare for the first leg against FC Barcelona. Manchester City is more experienced than last year and some may say is a more grown team and have a better chance of progressing than last season meeting. On the other hand tho when you look at the FC Barcelona team that has been in great from until there last outing against Malaga and the host of players they have (in the likes of Leo Messi, Suarez, Neymar, Iniesta and many more other great players), one is left to think of how realistic the chances of Manchester City in progressing to the next round (quarter-finals).
Team news
Wilfried Bony could make his first start for Manchester City after coming off the bench during their victory over Newcastle on Saturday.
Luis Suarez is in line to play his first Champions League match since departing Liverpool for Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.Yaya Toure will serve his final game of suspension after being sent off against CSKA Moscow in the group stage.
Luis Enrique has nearly a full squad of players to pick from against Manchester City, but Thomas Vermaelen is still missing through injury.
Stats
In the last seven Champions League knockout encounters with English clubs, Barcelona have prevailed six times, the only exception being the semi-final against Chelsea in 2011/12 when they lost 3-2 on aggregate.
Barcelona have completed 90% of their passes, the highest ratio in the Champions League this season.
Lionel Messi has netted in each of his last five games. He’s never managed it six games running
MANCHESTER CITY TEAM
Team v Barcelona: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernando, Milner, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko, Aguero
Subs: Caballero, Sagna, Mangala, Fernandinho, Lampard, Navas, Bony
No comments:
Post a Comment