City Enter New Ground Against Seasoned Vets, Barcelona

Finally, after so many failed attempts under the overrated Mancini, City are finally in the true pantheon of this competition of the elite...in European club football. They will go head-to-head against a team who have dominated the competition in years gone by but have recently been humbled by Chelsea and THE LESS SAID ABOUT THAT BAYERN ASSAULT, THE BETTER. It's on....

The KEY figure for City will be Navas. With no Aguero, City have lost their man firepower and their star dude. However, this is a game of tactics and psychology. The way you beat Barcelona is by counter-attacking, speed and DIRECT play. If Navas can get the ball in space and can run at that defence who will have to backtrack? There could be some real damage done by City.
   Pellegrini has to realize he cannot afford to fall under the same trap that he did when they played Chelsea in the league. That Argentine hobbit does NOT need many chances to score, and give him just enough and it is game over.
  The defensive positioning and performance they had in the FA Cup will be needed AND more to stop Messi, Pedro and Neymar who may show up probably in the second half.

Messi is a problem. He is a player Zabaleta and Kompany have not faced yet. How they deal with him will determine MOSTLY the outcome of the match.
  As for Barcelona, Martino will need to focus on TWO aspects. Getting his defence right and attentive for the ENTIRE match, as well as making sure his jewel and fellow compatriot is allowed to duck and weave and have an influence in the game. The trick to doing that, is by having dudes like Sanchez, Pedro and Neymar to have their best games and draw attention AWAY from Messi. This will keep the City defence guessing and would allow Messi to start working some of his magic.

Martino's aim is to send Barcelona back into that final, as it has been too long. Normally, this would have been a straightfrward game in the past, but he now has to accept he is facing a VERY difficult match. It won't be easy trying to stop a team who are KNOWN to be amazing on the attack....ESPECIALLY as he knows their defence is their one weakness.
 For Pellegrini, it's new ground for the club, but he knows he can pretty much become a legend in Blue Manchester if he can beat Barcelona. Trust me, he is plotting how to beatdown Martino....if the Argentine doesn't already have a ploy of his own.


HH