Hi all
I am a Barcelona supporter from Ireland ( please don't call me a gloryhunter lol )
First of all I would like to say that I have been very impressed with City this season and believe you guys will run away with the league title by the end of the season.
I am delighted with the draw. Last season we had an easy last 16 tie and honestly I think it worked against us. We are not the team we were under Pep and under our new management our tactics have been altered. For the first time in about 5 years we had a game where the opposition had more of the ball than us ( Rayo Vallecano ) and we have been playing slightly more direct than in previous years.
Xavi has been declining and Iniesta has had an underwhelming season so our midfield isn't what it used to be. Meanwhile our defence continues to look shaky with although Puyol's return and Bartra's rise has been positive. Unfortunately Tata Martino favours Mascherano/Pique over Bartra and Puyol which is a worry for me should he chose that partnership against City.
Last year we were trashed by Bayern Munich but I don't think that has any significance. We played with an injured Messi, Busquets and Xavi and our coach had was fighting cancer. All the pundits called it the end of an era which in mu opinion was premature.
Finally we get to our front line. Neymar has been playing fantastic football while Sanchez has finally started to play like the player he was at Udinese. He is in the form of his life, but of course the key here is Messi. He has been injured several times this year and without him we look only have the side we usually are. Fabregas plays false 9 in his absence and without Messi I give us only small odds of progressing. He will be back In January but his injury problems have been a problem all year so fingers crossed he will make a full recovery this time. I think most here would feel beating Barca without Messi would be a hollow victory.
