Form guide (all competitions)
Manchester City: WWDDLL
Barcelona: WWWWWL
For the second year running, Manchester City and Barcelona meet in the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League – with the English side hoping for a different outcome than 12 months ago when Barcelona won 4-1 on aggregate.
The clubs have common ground beyond last season's encounter. City's squad features Spaniards Jesús Navas and David Silva along with six other players signed from Spanish football including Yaya Touré, recruited from Barcelona in 2010. Additionally, they have a director of football, Txiki Begiristain, who knows Barcelona better than most.
This is only City's second appearance in the round of 16, but for Barcelona it is the 11th in a row. Their record at this stage over the past decade is eight wins and two defeats. The Azulgrana have qualified for the quarter-finals in each of the last seven seasons.
The teams met for the first time in a competitive fixture last term. Barcelona won the first leg in Manchester 2-0, Lionel Messi (penalty) and Daniel Alves scoring. Messi and Alves struck again in a 2-1 second-leg victory, sandwiching Vincent Kompany's goal. City had a man sent off in both games: first Martín Demichelis, then Pablo Zabaleta.
The lineups in Manchester on 18 February 2014 were:
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Touré, Fernandinho, Navas (Nasri 58), Silva, Kolarov (Lescott 58), Negredo (Džeko 74).
Barcelona: Valdés, Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba, Xavi, Busquets, Fàbregas (Sergi Roberto 86), Alexis Sánchez (Neymar 74), Messi, Iniesta.
Barcelona were the visitors on 10 August 2003 for City's inaugural match in a stadium built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Nicolas Anelka and Trevor Sinclair scored either side of Javier Saviola for Barcelona, who featured Xavi Hernández in their starting XI and Andrés Iniesta as a substitute.
Touré played against a City team including Pablo Zabaleta when they won 1-0 at Barcelona in a pre-season friendly in August 2009.
Match background
Manchester City
City reached the last 16 on the back of an impressive escape act in Group E. They had taken only two points from their first four fixtures but then beat Bayern Munich and AS Roma to snatch second place.
Their last-gasp 3-2 comeback victory over Bayern on matchday five was just their third win in their last ten European home fixtures.
City's home record against Spanish clubs is W2 D2 L1. Sergio Agüero has scored in his last two home games for City against Liga visitors – the 1-1 draw with Real Madrid (2012/13) and 2-1 success over Villarreal (2011/12).
While City are seeking to make the quarter-finals for the first time, in Manuel Pellegrini they have a coach who has been there with Villarreal (2006, 2009) and Málaga CF (2012).
Barcelona
Four-time European champions Barcelona are pursuing an eighth successive quarter-final appearance.
Barcelona lost their first away match in this campaign at Paris Saint-Germain (2-3) but subsequently won at AFC Ajax (2-0) and APOEL FC (4-0).
The Blaugrana's victory at City last year was their first in five trips to Manchester – the first four were at Old Trafford against Manchester United FC. It was also their first success on English soil since a 3-1 Champions League final triumph over United at Wembley in May 2011.
Barcelona's record away to English opposition is W7 D8 L14.
Coach and player links
During nine seasons coaching in Spain with Villarreal, Real Madrid and Málaga, Pellegrini managed only four victories against Barcelona. The Chilean lost both Liga 'clásicos' as Madrid coach in 2009/10 (0-1 a, 0-2 h) and his overall record against Barcelona reads P22 W4 D4 L14.
City's director of football, Begiristain, filled the same role at Barcelona between 2003 and 2010. He was a member of the Blaugrana's 1992 European Cup-winning squad and also landed four Liga titles, the European Cup Winners' Cup and Super Cup.
During three campaigns with Barcelona (2007–10), Touré made 74 Liga outings and scored four goals, winning two league championships and the 2009 UEFA Champions League.
Zabaleta spent three years at Barcelona's city rivals Espanyol (2005–08) and featured in four Liga derbies (W0 D2 L2).
Agüero hit five goals in ten Liga games versus Barcelona for Club Atlético de Madrid (2006–11). His first home match against Barcelona ended in a 6-0 defeat in May 2007.
Frank Lampard claimed three goals in ten appearances against Barcelona as a Chelsea player, beating them in the 2011/12 semi-finals and 2004/05 round of 16, but losing in the 2008/09 semi-finals and 2005/06 round of 16.
David Silva faced Claudio Bravo when his Spain side – also including Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Iniesta – had their 2014 Fifa World Cup elimination sealed by a 2-0 reverse to Chile. Bravo's Chile subsequently went out on penalties to a Brazil team containing City's Fernandinho as well as Neymar and Alves.
Luis Suárez struck both Uruguay goals past Joe Hart in the 2-1 victory that ousted England from the 2014 World Cup. With Liverpool FC, Suárez scored once in six games against City (W2 D3 L1).
Gaël Clichy was an unused Arsenal substitute in the 2006 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona. Clichy and Samir Nasri later played in Arsenal sides eliminated by Barcelona in 2009/10 and 2010/11.
Navas lined up alongside Alves and Adriano in the Sevilla team that overcame Barcelona 3-0 in the 2006 Super Cup.
Gerard Piqué spent four years in Manchester as a United player from 2004–08, making 23 appearances but never facing City.
Match Facts
Manchester City Agüero, Clichy, Edin Džeko and Zabaleta are all a booking away from a ban. Touré completes a three-match suspension.
City have played 13 games since the end of the group stage, their record reading: W7 D4 L2.
The Citizens' 4-1 win at Stoke City FC on 11 February was their first victory in six matches in all competitions.
Agüero registered twice against Stoke, ending a six-game scoring drought. He also converted a second-minute penalty in Saturday's 5-0 win against Newcastle United.
Saturday's clean sheet was City's first in 11 fixtures in all competitions, since a 3-0 triumph over Crystal Palace on 20 December.
January signing Wilfried Bony started every match – scoring two goals, both in the quarter-finals against Algeria – as Ivory Coast won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. He made his City debut as a second-half substitute against Newcastle.
Touré was also ever-present for Ivory Coast, his one goal coming in the semi-finals against DR Congo. The Stoke game was the only match City won during his absence.
Squad changes
In: Wilfried Bony (Swansea City)
Out: Stevan Jovetic, Matija Nastasic (FC Schalke 04, loan)
Barcelona
Barcelona have won 13 of their 16 games in all competitions since matchday six, drawing one and losing two, including Saturday's 1-0 loss at home to Málaga CF. That was Barcelona's second Camp Nou reverse of the season, equalling the mark for each of the last two seasons; they have not lost three times at home since 2008/09.
Before the weekend the Blaugrana had won their last 11 fixtures, since losing 1-0 to Real Sociedad de Fútbol on 4 January.
The Catalan club defeated Huesca (12-1 on aggregate), Elche (9-0) and Atlético Madrid (4-2) en route to the Copa del Rey semi-finals, where they lead Villarreal CF 3-1 after the home first leg. The return is on 4 March.
Messi registered his 23rd Liga hat-trick, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's record, as Barcelona beat Levante UD 5-0 at home on 15 February on the occasion of his 300th top-flight appearance for the club.
The Argentina striker has scored 14 goals – including another hat-trick, against Deportivo La Coruna on 18 January – in 2015.
Thomas Vermaelen is out for the rest of the season, while Douglas is a doubt for the first leg because of a torn thigh muscle sustained in mid-January.
Squad changes
In: None
Out: None
Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City manager
Last year was different. Last year we arrived here after 19 games in two months and I don't think it was our best period. This year I hope we do it. My team are in good form, but we recognise that we are playing a very strong side.
Last year we tried to change our style, maybe we couldn't do what we wanted to do, so we tried to contain Barcelona and couldn't play our attacking game. This time we will play our game. The main thing for my team is to fight for possession. We need to have the ball as long as we can, have good distribution, force Barcelona near to their box and concentrate on them and their good players.
Lionel Messi is the best player in the world. We can't think about just stopping Messi. If we just stop him then they have a lot of other good players. It's very important for us to fight for possession, not to lose easy balls. When they have the ball we must be very focused on Messi and their other players.
[Sergio] Agüero is one of the top five players in the world and when he is 100percent fit he is very difficult to stop. He's coming back from an injury, but he's adding minutes and seeing him in his last two games against Stoke and Newcastle, he's back to his best.
Before the game at the weekend Barcelona had won 11 in a row, so you can't criticise them. Maybe if we played them in December they were in a difficult period, but tomorrow we will see the real Barcelona. Maybe against Málaga they were thinking of tomorrow, but before that they were playing very well.
Luis Enrique, Barcelona coach
We didn't relax against Málaga, we were well prepared. We wouldn't have gone into a league game thinking about a Champions League match. We just couldn't get through their defence. These things happen in football. But now we are in a different competition.
After a defeat you want to get the chance to compete again, especially against a team that are among the favourites for the competition. We shouldn't be down after the run we've been on. We need to carry on doing what we have been doing.
We've got to make use of the space. If we can get hold of the ball then we can put our plan into action. The battle for the midfield will be pivotal. Last year Barcelona were in control of the game in terms of possession and 2-0 was a big advantage coming home. It will be difficult this time.
I don't know if there is a bigger gap than last year. City have won their domestic title and have improved their squad since then, as have we. We hope to win the trophy and if you want that, then you have to go through games like this.
Possible line-ups
Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Mangala, Kompany, Clichy; Fernandinho, Fernando; Nasri, Silva, Milner; Aguero.
Out: Touré (suspended)
Barcelona: Bravo; Alba, Mascherano, Piqué, Alves; Iniesta, Busquets, Rakitic; Neymar, Messi, Suárez.
Out: Douglas (hamstring), Vermaelen (hamstring)
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