SM
Inter Milan vs. Como: 12 hrs 15 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
BL
Champions League | Round-Of-16
Mar 18, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
MC

1-0

Rakitic (31')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Preview: Barcelona vs. Manchester City

:Headline: Preview: Barcelona vs. Manchester City: ID:211609: from db_amp
Sports Mole previews the second leg of Barcelona's last-16 Champions League clash with Manchester City at the Camp Nou.

Manchester City travel to the Camp Nou in the last 16 of the Champions League knowing that they must score at least two goals to progress past Barcelona into the quarter-final stages.

A brace from Luis Suarez gave Luis Enrique's men the advantage after the first leg at the Etihad, with Sergio Aguero grabbing a lifeline with a solitary effort to leave Manuel Pellegrini hoping for something special in Catalonia.

The Chilean boss goes into this fixture under increasing pressure following his side's recent dismal showing in the Premier League. Problems for the Sky Blues were highlighted on Saturday evening when they were undone by Burnley, who grabbed a 1-0 victory at Turf Moor.

The current league champions were fairly impressive in February until they fell to Barcelona, which was then followed by a devastating loss to Liverpool at Anfield. As it stands, now only one point separates Pellegrini's men and a resurgent third-placed Arsenal.

City's coach goes into the game knowing that some fans would welcome a move away from the team's 4-4-2 system, which could potentially see both Samir Nasri and James Milner come back into the fold.

Things could not be more different for Barcelona as they have won all of their last six games across all competitions, with victories coming in La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

The Catalans currently lead the league table and claimed a comfortable 2-0 away win over Eibar at the weekend to build from an impressive 6-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano the week before.

Statistics show that Barca are clear favourites to progress on Wednesday, with Enrique's charges claiming five straight wins in the tournament. The Spanish side have also scored at least two goals in their last six games in the showpiece.

When observing head-to-head history, the La Liga outfit are dominant too. Barcelona have beaten City in every one of their last three matches, bagging at least two goals in each of those meetings.

City will most likely be boosted by the return of Yaya Toure from suspension, but they will be without the suspended Gael Clichy, who was sent off in the first leg in England. As mentioned, Milner and Nasri could return if Pellegrini decides to change from his much-criticised 4-4-2 setup.

As for Barcelona, Sergio Busquets and Thomas Vermaelen remain the only absentees. Wednesday's hosts could welcome back both Dani Alves and Jordi Alba, who sat out at the weekend due to league suspensions. Enrique also had the chance to rest Javier Mascherano, Andres Iniesta and Xavi against Eibar, and they could all feature against City.

Barcelona:

Form in Champions League: LWWWWW
Form in all competitions: LWWWWW

Possible starting lineup: Bravo; Montoya, Bartra, Pique, Adriano; Roberto, Rakitic, Rafinha; Messi, Suarez, Neymar

Manchester City:

Form in Champions League: DDLWWL
Form in all competitions: WWLLWL

Possible starting lineup: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Mangala, Kolarov; Milner, Navas, Fernandinho, Toure, Silva; Aguero

Sports Mole says: 2-1


amp_article__211609 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2015-03-16 16:49:16:
html db last update - 2015-03-16 16:49:16 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .