‘It is now time for changes at City as they are not getting any better,’ says Jamie Carragher

Under-pressure City boss Manuel Pellegrini

Manchester City need to make “changes” following their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona on Wednesday night, according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side lost the second leg of their last-16 tie 1-0 at the Nou Camp to exit Europe’s premier club competition 3-1 on aggregate.

And speaking after the match, the former Liverpool and England defender said the Premier League champions were in need of a major overhaul of their first-team squad come the summer.

“It has been a very good squad over the last four years, winning two titles and maybe coming second twice as well, but in the Premier League, not in Europe,” said Carragher.

“And I think it is now time for changes at City as I do not see them getting any better. They need to get some young players in with energy and pace.”

Manuel Pellegrini believes his Manchester City side put in a better second-half performance but ultimately Barcelona deserved to progress

However, fellow analyst Jamie Redknapp does not believe City’s defeat over two legs to Barca will have an impact on whether Pellegrini is still at the Etihad next season.

“I do not think this game will determine what will happen with Pellegrini at the end of the season,” he said.

Rather shock defeats in the Premier League and both domestic cup competitions are more likely to spell the end for the Chilean, according to the ex-Liverpool and England midfielder.

“Losing at home to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, at home to Newcastle in the Capital One Cup and at Burnley on Saturday, they are the results that will affect what will happen to Pellegrini,” Redknapp added.

“If you look at the game last year against Barcelona, they competed much better over the two legs. I think today there was a huge gulf in class and if the goalkeeper had not played as well as he did, it could have been three or four.”

Jamie Redknapp, Theirry Henry and Jamie Carragher analyse Joe Hart's performance at the Nou Camp

And like Carragher, Redknapp also feels City are in urgent need of yet more signings come the end of the campaign.

“It is not a band aid that will solve this, they need major surgery and three or four players to come in and give them an injection.

“Is Pellegrini the man to take the club forward? We talk about naivety in the first game playing 4-4-2 against Barcelona where they got outnumbered and punished, as you cannot play 4-4-2 against them.

“And that is where his legacy will stand, in the big games, and he has not won now in his last 16 games against Barcelona, which is just not good enough as a manager.”

Borussia Dortmund 0-3 Juventus (agg: 1-5): Carlos Tevez brace sends Juve into Champions League last eight

Carlos Tevez celebrates scoring with his team-mates

Juventus beat Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition 5-1 on aggregate.

Carlos Tevez gave the visitors a dream start by scoring from distance after just three minutes, before fellow frontman Alvaro Morata doubled their advantage with 20 minutes to go.

And Tevez made sure of the result by scoring his second goal of the night after 79 minutes as Juve progressed to the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition for just the second time since 2006.

Carlos Tevez scored Juventus' first goal with an incredible long-range effort

The visitors took little time silencing a rocking Westfalenstadion as Tevez unleashed a fiercely struck drive from fully 30 yards out that flew past a startled Roman Weidenfeller in Dortmund’s goal for his sixth goal in just eight Champions League games this season.

However, while the Argentine’s strike was impressive, the goalkeeper will no doubt be disappointed to have been beaten from such a long range out, the first goal Weidenfeller had conceded at home in 216 minutes.

And that stunning strike appeared to knock the stuffing out of Dortmund, at least for the first half of the opening period, as Juve went in search of a second goal to kill off the home team’s resistance.

In fact, Swiss right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner very nearly provided it after 17 minutes with a 35-yard piledriver that forced a nervy looking Weidenfeller into a desperate save, but gradually Dortmund worked themselves into the encounter, helped by an untimely hamstring injury to Juventus playmaker Paul Pogba just before the half-hour mark.

Tevez celebrates with Arturo Vidal

Hard as they pressed in search of the two goals they needed to take the tie into extra time, Jurgen Klopp’s side just could not find a way past a well-marshalled and disciplined Juventus defence.

As the match headed into the second half and the clock continued to tick away, so Dortmund became more desperate, with spaces at the back beginning to appear with increasing regularity.

And Spain international Alvaro Morata should have killed the game as a contest when presented with two glorious chances in the space of five minutes early in the second half, only for Weidenfeller to deny the striker on both occasions with smart blocks in one-on-one situations.

But those two misses were not to prove costly to the Serie A champions as Morata put the tie out of sight after 70 minutes after Tevez broke clear of Dortmund’s malfunctioning back line, before the diminutive forward laid a goal on a plate for his strike partner.

Nine minutes later and Tevez inflicted yet more pain on Dortmund and their fans after fine approach from Argentine midfielder Roberto Pereyra, who slipped his compatriot through on goal before the 31-year-old made no mistake in netting his 23rd goal of the campaign to seal Juve’s place in the quarter-finals.

Messi’s Man City masterclass: Barcelona genius puts on a show

Everything but the goal. Lionel Messi’s mesmerising performance in Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Manchester City in the Nou Camp to eliminate the Premier League title holders from the Champions League was one to remember, writes Adam Bate…

Pep Guardiola’s hands instinctively covered his face in shock as though he’d seen something he shouldn’t. Luis Enrique settled for pirouetting on the spot. James Milner was just dumped on his backside. Lionel Messi can do that to people.

“We’re in the presence of greatness here,” said Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler. “Scandalously good,” added Gary Neville. Jamie Carragher called it an “absolute privilege”, while Jamie Redknapp thought it was “embarrassing” what he’d just seen.

Much of it was delivered in the hushed tones more commonly associated with theatre than sport. And yet, that’s precisely how Messi can make this game look. Genius at play.

Lionel Messi nutmegged James Milner to the delight of Pep Guardiola

When Andres Iniesta spoke of making City “suffer” most observers were content to put it down to the nuances of translation, but there were times on Wednesday night when there seemed to be a cruel streak to his Argentine team-mate. This was death by nutmeg. A matador using the ball as his red rag.

Only Sergio Aguero, a man who has seen the little magician up close since their adolescence, seemed at peace with what he was witnessing. David Silva raged against the Messi machine and Yaya Toure bemoaned his luck.

Lionel Messi completed 11 dribbles against Manchester City on the night

As for Samir Nasri, his petulant kick out at Neymar was the act of a man frustrated by his own impotence in comparison to the maestro. It was as if the man behind the Blackpool Tower had been taken to Paris to see Mr Eiffel’s work and he’d not taken it well.

Lofted pass

The scoreline seemed merely incidental against this backdrop, but the great man did deign to interject in this regard shortly after the half-hour mark, carrying the ball forwards and delivering a lofted pass into the path of Ivan Rakitic for his team-mate to open – and conclude - the scoring.

“He’s one of the best passers of the ball in the world,” said Carragher at half-time, appearing almost bemused by the fact that players as good as Andrea Pirlo, Xavi and Paul Scholes can construct a career out of something that Messi indulges in as a mere hobby.

Lionel Messi was just too good for Manchester City's big names

Another ludicrous ball to Jordi Alba that seemed to anticipate which foot the player’s marker Jesus Navas had placed his weight on let alone the City man’s position, offered the chance for Barca to double the lead. It wasn’t the first or last chance that the home team spurned.

Messi was as guilty as anyone, Joe Hart seemingly relishing his private battle. As a result of the England No 1’s efforts, by the time City’s players trudged from the pitch they would have been forgiven for feeling a modicum of relief as well as disappointment. A hiding had been dodged.

 

Barcelona vs R Madrid

March 22, 2015

The statistics were almost as startling as the spectacle. Most passes? Messi. Most chances created? Messi. Most shots? Messi. Most dribbles? Messi, breaking his own 2014/15 knockout stage record of 10 – notched up in the first leg - with 11 of them in front of his adoring supporters.

All that was missing was the goal. Messi has scored 20 of those already in 2015. Manchester City as a team have managed only 21. And so the visitors were spared the final indignation of an ‘equalising’ goal. The rest of us got to enjoy a performance to remember.

Barcelona 1-0 Man City (agg: 3-1): Sergio Aguero misses penalty as Ivan Rakitic seals win

City players look dejected after Ivan Rakitic's goal

Sergio Aguero missed a penalty as Manchester City exited the Champions League after losing 1-0 against Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Ivan Rakitic handed Barcelona the lead in the first half to make it 3-1 on aggregate, and the hosts should have had the tie out of reach far earlier, hitting the post twice before half-time.

James Milner: Critical of Manchester City's performance

But City had a chance to halve the aggregate deficit when Aguero was brought down by Gerard Pique with 11 minutes remaining, only to see his spot kick saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Joe Hart made 10 saves to keep the score at 1-0, and the result means the Premier League has no team in the quarter-final of the Champions League for the second time in three years.

Sergio Aguero missed a penalty in the latter stages at the Nou Camp

City, looking to avoid a second straight last-16 exit at the Nou Camp after going out 4-1 on aggregate last season, were on the back foot in the first half, and did not help themselves by picking up four bookings before half-time.

Neymar hit the post in the sixth minute after Vincent Kompany was caught loitering with the ball on the edge of the box, losing possession to Dani Alves before the Brazilian offloaded to his compatriot.

Lionel Messi nutmegs James Milner at the Nou Camp to the delight of Pep Guardiola

Hart was forced into action in the 12th minute, blocking Lionel Messi’s effort from an angle after Barcelona combined beautifully on the left side of the penalty area.

City’s only half chance of the opening 45 minutes came moments later when Yaya Toure’s centre from the byline was nearly turned in by James Milner, but Alves did well to block the midfielder inside the six-yard box.

But Barcelona took the lead just after half an hour, Messi finding Rakitic at the far post with fine vision for the Croatian to bring the ball down and lob over Hart into the bottom corner.

Luis Suarez hit the post on the stroke of half-time after being put through on goal by Neymar, Kompany and Martin Demichelis drifting apart to allow the former Liverpool striker a run in between them.

Jamie Redknapp, Theirry Henry and Jamie Carragher analyse Joe Hart's performance at the Nou Camp

Suarez hit the side-netting 20 minutes into the second half, before City failed to get on the other end of Jesus Navas’ cut-back into a dangerous position.

As Barcelona cleared, Neymar found Messi clear on the counter attack, but the Argentine was shepherded out of play by Hart.

City had a chance to get back into the tie in the closing stages when Aguero went down under the challenge of Pique, but the striker’s resulting penalty was struck at a good height for Ter Stegen who dived to his right and made the save.

Rakitic celebrates his goal in the first half

Ter Stegen’s opposite number Hart had to be at his best again to keep out Suarez’s effort after the Uruguayan was played in by Messi.

Hart had to make another two saves in injury time, first from Messi and then Neymar as City left men forward, but the scoreline ultimately flattered the Premier League side.

Barcelona v Man City: Champions League preview

Manchester City must go to the Nou Camp and win if they are to have any chance of progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Manuel Pellegrini's side fell to a 2-1 loss in their first leg against Barcelona at the end of February, but it could have been much worse had Joe Hart not come to the rescue in the dying moments.

Luis Suarez had scored twice to give Luis Enrique and his men a commanding lead, before Sergio Aguero fired City back into the tie with a strike 20 minutes from time.

Lionel Messi was gifted an opportunity to make it 3-1 with a late penalty, but Barcelona's star man fluffed his lines to give the English champions a glimmer of hope.

Sergio Aguero havled the deficit for City in the first leg

But still, City must turn the tie around - a difficult task against any team in the Champions League, let alone the might of Barcelona.

By the time they kick off in Spain, City may well be the last British representatives in the competition, depending on whether Arsenal can pull themselves back from the brink against Monaco on Tuesday night.

Team news

Manchester City will be without defender Gael Clichy, who was sent off in the first leg between the two sides.

Just minutes after City pulled a goal back to make the score 2-1 at the Etihad, Clichy picked up a second yellow card for a high tackle on Barcelona's Dani Alves.

Gael Clichy will be suspended after getting sent off at the Etihad

Barcelona have two injury worries, in Sergio Busquets and Thomas Vermaelen. The former is a major doubt after suffering ankle ligament damage at the start of March, while former Arsenal man Vermaelen has had surgery on a hamstring problem as is likely to be sidelined until the end of the season. 

Opta facts

Barcelona have won their three Champions League meetings with Manchester City by an aggregate of 6-2.

Manchester City have had a player sent off in each of their three meetings with Barcelona (Demichelis and Zabaleta last season, Clichy in the first leg this season).

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.

Jose Hart saved Messi's late penalty

The only English club to beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou in the Champions League since 1992/93 are Liverpool. It was in February 2007 (2-1).

Manchester City have only kept one clean sheet in their last 14 Champions League games (2-0 v Roma, December 2014).

Barcelona have made it to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the 11th consecutive campaign. They have always made it at least to the quarter-finals in the last seven seasons.

Manchester City have lost four of their last five Champions League against Spanish opposition (D1). Their only away win came against Villarreal in November 2011 (3-0).

Pablo Zabaleta brings Messi down in the first leg

Messi has netted 39 goals in 42 Champions League games at the Camp Nou.

Sergio Agüero has scored 11 goals in his last 10 Champions League games.

Atletico Madrid 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen (agg: 1-1, 3-2 on pens): Holders progress after penalty shoot-out drama

Arda Turan (L) vies Emir Spahic and Lars Bender

Atletico Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 on penalties to progress to the Champions League last eight after winning their last-16 second-leg tie 1-0.

The Spanish champions had trailed 1-0 from the first encounter, only for Mario Suarez’s 27th-minute strike to take the game into extra time at the Vicente Calderon.

However, it was Leverkusen substitute Stefan Kiessling's missed spot-kick that ultimately handed the home side victory in the shootout.

It was Leverkusen, though, who started the brighter of the two teams as they went in search of a potentially match-changing away strike, with the Bundesliga side having the first opening when Karim Bellarabi’s goalbound effort from the edge of the area was deflected inches wide of the post.

And when Atleti striker Mario Mandzukic was then required to clear Son Heung-min’s shot off his own goal-line just past the quarter-hour mark, the home fans’ anxiety began to grow.

Atletico Madrid's Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak (L) hugs Leverkusen's forward Stefan Kiessling (C) after his penalty miss

However, the Atletico faithful were soon rocking in the stands as their side made the crucial breakthrough thanks to an all-too-rare Suarez strike, only the midfielder’s third in the last four seasons, although it owed much to a huge slice of fortune.

After Leverkusen had only half cleared a Koke free kick, the ball was laid off to Suarez on the left-hand edge of the area and although the Spain international’s strike was on target, Leverkusen No 1 Bernd Leno was well placed to save it before a cruel deflection off centre-back Omer Toprak wrong-footed the goalkeeper.

And given that the was first goal Leverkusen had conceded in 477 minutes of football in all competitions, the palpable relief in the Spanish capital was understandable, although the home team still required a further strike to make the quarter-finals.

After half-time, though, there was only side who really looked like scoring, and that was Atletico as Diego Simeone constantly whipped the home supporters into a state of near delirium.

But hard as they pressed, Atleti just could not find a way past a stubborn and ultra-disciplined Leverkusen back four, with half-chances coming, and going, to the likes of Koke, Arda Turan, twice, and Antoine Griezmann.

Bayern Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling missed the crucial penalty

As a result, half an hour’s extra time was then required to try and separate the two teams, but apart from an Arda snap shot for Atletico and a long-range effort from Rolfes for the visitors, both sets of defences remained unbreached till the end, leading to the drama of penalties.

Atletico substitute Raul Garcia set the tone by firstly firing high over the bar, only for Hakan Calhanoglu’s feeble effort to then be easily saved by Jan Oblak, who had replaced injured first-choice ‘keeper Miguel Moya after 20 minutes.

Leverkusen defender Toprak also missed, while Atleti skipper Koke saw his effort saved as well, before Kiessling finally skied the 10th and final penalty over the bar to keep Simeone and Co’s dream of winning the trophy alive.

Arsenal suffer the same fate again... they should have seen off Monaco, says Charlie Nicholas

Charlie Nicholas: Arsenal paid the price for a terrible first-leg performance

Arsenal’s exit from the Champions League at the hands of Monaco should have been avoided and was typical of the club, according to Sky Sports’Charlie Nicholas.

The Gunners won 2-0 at the Stade Louis II thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and substitute Aaron Ramsey, but went out on away goals after Monaco’s 3-1 win at the Emirates in the first leg.

Despite a fine attacking performance by Arsenal on Tuesday night, Arsene Wenger’s side could not find a third goal, and they depart the Champions League at the last-16 stage for a fifth straight year.

Olivier Giroud reacts to a missed chance in the first half

Nicholas said on Soccer Special: “We do the same thing every year. We’ve done it against much better teams than this. We’ve done it against Bayern Munich and we’ve done it against Barcelona. You name it we’ve done it.

“This is a cruel one. This was a performance I’ve been waiting for a long time to see in Europe. They’ll be scratching their head in the morning wondering how they are out against Monaco.

“Monaco were on the ropes. After the first 10 minutes they looked like Arsenal were going to outclass them.”

Santi Cazorla of Arsenal looks dejected as Monaco players celebrate

Arsenal have been criticised for not performing in the bigger games in Europe and domestically over the years, but carrying the momentum from recent good form in the Premier League and FA Cup, at times it looked as though a dramatic comeback was on the cards.

Nicholas could not fault the Arsenal side, and said Mesut Ozil’s performance was his best at the club after a fine show in midfield.

“I’m very critical of a lot of the players a lot of the time because I think it’s justified but tonight I thought Mesut Ozil was magnificent. The best I’ve seen him.

“He was working his socks off. Everybody tried and everybody gave their very best but they punished themselves. They beat themselves again.”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger should get most of the blame, but not all, says Nicholas

Despite the performance, Nicholas rued Arsenal’s approach when the side are under pressure, and says Wenger should get most of the blame, but not all.

“Once again these players have turned up when the pressure was off them because they can just go for it.

“They need to start turning up when the pressure is on them. That’s why they don’t win big football matches domestically and that’s why they get put out against Monaco. I think the manager should get the brunt of it but not all of it.

“They’ve got all the class and all the ability compared to anyone else. They are probably the second-best team behind Barcelona when it’s fluent like this but why do they always have an Achilles heel like defending when it is the basic concept of the game?”