Manchester City meet Barcelona this evening at the Etihad in a repeat of last season's Champions League last-16 encounter. On that occasion the Spanish giants cruised to a 4-1 aggregate victory (including a 2-0 win in Manchester) but the Sky Blues are quietly confident they are better equipped to deal with Barcelona this time around.
For a start manager Manuel Pellegrini points to the fact that, 12 months ago, his side were feeling the effects of 19 matches in two months. "We're fresher this time and we're in a good moment of form," explained the City boss.
He said of last season's encounter: "We played a lot of games one after another and tried to approach the game in a different way but it didn't work out. We wanted to open up the field and create danger."
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City will be without the influential Yaya Toure in midfield – he is suspended after being sent off against CSKA Moscow in the group stage – but the reigning Premier League champions are on a good run of form, unbeaten in their last four league encounters, including Saturday's 5-0 thrashing of Newcastle.
In contrast Barcelona suffered a surprise defeat at home to Malaga at the weekend, ending an 11-game winning streak, and that loss was followed by the news that two players, striker Lionel Messi and defender Gerard Pique, were photographed leaving a Barcelona casino (in the presence of former teammate and now Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas) at around midnight on Sunday.
The Daily Telegraph described the incident as having thrown Barcelona's preparations for tonight's clash "into turmoil", which may be a touch fanciful, yet there's no doubt the headlines are an unwanted distraction as coach Luis Enrique readies his squad for the biggest game of the season to date.
The English journalists at Monday's press conference wasted no time in quizzing Enrique about the casino visit and the Telegraph claimed the Barcelona coach "reacted with exasperation" to the interrogation, muttering: "I concentrate on football, not stuff outside it. I am not interested."
Despite last season's result going their way, and the fact Barcelona are aiming to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the ninth successive year, Enrique shrugged off suggestions his side were favourites. "I don't think there is a favourite," he said. "It is dangerous to speak of favourites in the Champions League - you have to demonstrate yourself on the field."
Pellegrini was certainly playing down the idea that City may have caught Barcelona in a bad moment, what with the defeat to Malaga and the controversy over the casino trip.
"We'll see the true Barcelona tomorrow," Pellegrini warned on Monday. "Before the Malaga game they were on a winning streak and I expect to see the best Barca tomorrow night."
