Soccer Champions League

Manchester City Should Take Heart From Performance In Loss To Barcelona

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Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero playing against Barcelona

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A 2-1 home loss to Barcelona in the first leg of their second round Champions League tie obviously makes things tough for Manchester City ahead of the return leg at the Nou Camp in three weeks time. But the game at the Etihad Stadium still produced many causes of optimism for Manuel Pellegrini‘s men, which should give the Citizens a lot of confidence ahead of the second leg.

The game could have easily finished 3-1 instead if it wasn’t for Joe Hart saving a Lionel Messi penalty in injury time, and the tie would then have been virtually dead ahead of the return game in Barcelona. But Hart saved the penalty and Messi then failed to convert the rebound, as City lived to fight another day. Messi failed to punish City on this occasion, but Luis Suarez did not earlier in the game.

The Uruguayan scored two goals in the first 30 minutes to give the Catalans the initiative, but not before City had started well; and that is what City have to really focus on and certainly extract some confidence from. Straight from the kick off, City pressed high and were aggressive both with the ball and without it. It worked well, but Barca always have the quality to undo anybody, and when the ball fortunately fell to Suarez in the 16th minute and the striker clinically opened the scoring, City’s approach then changed.

The home team suddenly sat deeper, seemingly less enthusiastic about taking the same risks that they were when they were at 0-0. That, however, is exactly the approach Barca like to play against, and the Spaniards subsequently dominated the rest of the first half from there. After a few words from Pellegrini at halftime, City then came out much like they did in the first half, and it worked once again.

City looked a real threat and the game was an even one whenever City played on the front foot, rather than the back foot. Gael Clichy won possession doing exactly that in the 69th minute, and after feeding the ball to David Silva, the playmaker then neatly laid the ball off for Sergio Aguero, who stepped in and made the game 2-1.

Clichy went on to receive a red card for a high challenge on Dani Alves just four minutes later, which then stemmed the home team’s momentum and, predictably, meant that City then had to defend even more and change their approach once again. But the fact remains that City were more than a match for Barca when they applied their initial tactics with confidence, aggression and belief.

The City players admitted that they gave Barcelona too much respect in the team’s Champions League tie last season, and although they did the same at times in this game, the Blues are undoubtedly learning — albeit slowly. When they are brave, push up high and press aggressively, they can match Barca. But the moment they drop off and give the Catalans space to turn and pick passes, they carve through the City defense like it’s not even there.

The result of this game will tell City that they have a tall task ahead of them in Barcelona next month, but their performance in spells should tell them that it is a job they are capable of doing. Barcelona will be the clear favorites, but if City can take the positives from this performance and carry them forward into the game in the Nou Camp, then the tie will be far from over just yet.

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