How should we feel about drawing Barca?

[Prestwich_Blue]

Nice read, but it will be proved wrong in february. Barcelona's midfield will boss the game. It will be Barcelona who will have 65-70% possession of the ball and I don't really know how are you gonna create more chanches having the ball less time. It will be a defense game for you in the first leg, if you really want to go forward in the competition. If you go into the tie thinking you're gonna come out on top in a riot with Barcelona, you are wrong. Barcelona can not wait to have spaces they can exploit and once you give them that, they will win. City's only chance is to play a Milan type of game in the first leg and hope not to be abused in the return leg.

But the real question is what are your expectations for this tie? You're happy with a win at all costs, or do you want to play great football no matter the result. It's gonna be almost impossible to knock out Barca by dominating the game. And Pellegrini should be careful. Coming out with too much confidence can be as damaging as coming out with no confidence at all.

You not got a game against Olympiakos to worry about?

thats what I was thinking alright, a barca fan would know they can't seem to get their holy trinity on the pitch at the same time for 90 mins anymore.

I don't think he's Spanish and is probably the same plastic who posted on a Barca blog that we're playing "woeful" at the moment.

 

[adrianr]

You not got a game against Olympiakos to worry about?

thats what I was thinking alright, a barca fan would know they can't seem to get their holy trinity on the pitch at the same time for 90 mins anymore.

I don't think he's Spanish and is probably the same plastic who posted on a Barca blog that we're playing "woeful" at the moment.

No matter, he'll be a City fan next season.

 

[aguero93:20]

thats what I was thinking alright, a barca fan would know they can't seem to get their holy trinity on the pitch at the same time for 90 mins anymore.

I don't think he's Spanish and is probably the same plastic who posted on a Barca blog that we're playing "woeful" at the moment.

No matter, he'll be a City fan next season.

besides, he hasn't seen how we punish teams that are stupid enough to play advanced possession football against us ;)
@adrianr no problem with a growing city global fanbase, but these are the ones we don't need.

 

[adrianr]

I don't think he's Spanish and is probably the same plastic who posted on a Barca blog that we're playing "woeful" at the moment.

No matter, he'll be a City fan next season.

besides, he hasn't seen how we punish teams that are stupid enough to play advanced possession football against us ;)
@adrianr no problem with a growing city global fanbase, but these are the ones we don't need.

Unfortunately mate, if they're willing to spend money with the club, either through merchandise or viewing figures, they're exactly the ones we need. We may not want them, but that's going to be the breaks of a global football club I'm afraid :(

 

[aguero93:20]

No matter, he'll be a City fan next season.

besides, he hasn't seen how we punish teams that are stupid enough to play advanced possession football against us ;)
@adrianr no problem with a growing city global fanbase, but these are the ones we don't need.

Unfortunately mate, if they're willing to spend money with the club, either through merchandise or viewing figures, they're exactly the ones we need. We may not want them, but that's going to be the breaks of a global football club I'm afraid :(

I prefer the ones like our growing Argentinean fan base who are growing up watching their heroes playing for city tbh(they'll be city for good I reckon) but I see your point

 

[welsh_andy]

will be a twenty goal thriller if defences to go by. but seriously i really cant wait for this, barca will be worried by us for sure. messi and sergio on pitch at same time, oh god i will need a truck full of kleenex.

all in all cant fucking wait for this, 2 of the best if not the best attacking forces in the game.

going for 7-6 to us on agg im really convinced we can beat them imo

 

[FCBarcelona]

Not the same Barcelona, not the same City.

They didn't 'dominate' Villareal this weekend.

Villareal had two goal scoring chances the whole game, if that is not dominating I don't know what is. And Barcelona doesn't play in CL to reach a semifinal or whatever, it plays to win the title. So it doesn't matter if Barca meets City, Real, Bayern etc. in the quarters, semis or last 16.

 

[Chris in London]

Over in the barca.com forum they are saying things like, this is the hardest possible draw for them and are showing a lot of respect to our squad and chances.

For example...........

We could easily be thrashed here, even if Messi is 100% he will be surrounded by Kompany Fernandinho Yaya, he will get no space. So it will be up to Neymar or Alexis to do something. Our midfield will get over run I reckon by the pace and strength of their midfield, and our defence definitely won't be able to cope with their attack. Overall I am not confident

I doubt this, TBF.

One thing Barca know is that if they can go to the Nou Camp level, or maybe just behind or just ahead, they have the ability in front of their own fans to get the win they need. Their objective will be to make sure they do not get battered so badly that the tie is out of reach. They will fancy themselves on their own turf just as we do on ours, so their mission will be to stay in the tie.

Their game plan will be to stop our flair players running away with it. So I suspect we will see a lot more of Mascherano and Xavi than of neymar and messi. If they nick a goal or two on the break it will be a bonus for them.

Nice read, but it will be proved wrong in february. Barcelona's midfield will boss the game. It will be Barcelona who will have 65-70% possession of the ball and I don't really know how are you gonna create more chanches having the ball less time. It will be a defense game for you in the first leg, if you really want to go forward in the competition. If you go into the tie thinking you're gonna come out on top in a riot with Barcelona, you are wrong. Barcelona can not wait to have spaces they can exploit and once you give them that, they will win. City's only chance is to play a Milan type of game in the first leg and hope not to be abused in the return leg.

But the real question is what are your expectations for this tie? You're happy with a win at all costs, or do you want to play great football no matter the result. It's gonna be almost impossible to knock out Barca by dominating the game. And Pellegrini should be careful. Coming out with too much confidence can be as damaging as coming out with no confidence at all.

You've been rumbled, FCB, but since you ask what my expectations are I expect we will beat Barca at our place. If they go toe-to-toe with City they might turn us over like Bayern did (the only time this season we have actually been outplayed) but they also might get battered like Arsenal. And Spurs. And your beloved United. I don't expect they will take that risk. So my expectation is to take a lead to the Nou Camp, but what none of us know is whether the lead will be enough.

Like I say, Barca know enough to know that they don't need to win at the Etihad to progress into the last 8. They need to avoid being beaten 3 or 4-1 because that way if they are too open at the Nou Camp we can nick a goal on the break and put the tie beyond reach. So they will look at the Etihad as being the first half, and their overriding objective will be still to be in the tie at the end of the first leg. If they go back to Catalonia having lost 2-1, they will think that is job done.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Not the same Barcelona, not the same City.

They didn't 'dominate' Villareal this weekend.

Villareal had two goal scoring chances the whole game, if that is not dominating I don't know what is. And Barcelona doesn't play in CL to reach a semifinal or whatever, it plays to win the title. So it doesn't matter if Barca meets City, Real, Bayern etc. in the quarters, semis or last 16.

Was that the same Bayern that put 7 past you last season you played to win against?

 

[aguero93:20]

Not the same Barcelona, not the same City.

They didn't 'dominate' Villareal this weekend.

Villareal had two goal scoring chances the whole game, if that is not dominating I don't know what is. And Barcelona doesn't play in CL to reach a semifinal or whatever, it plays to win the title. So it doesn't matter if Barca meets City, Real, Bayern etc. in the quarters, semis or last 16.

Was that the same Bayern that put 7 past you last season you played to win against?

the ones we play with extremely similar qualities to and lost out 5-4 to after hopelessly bolloxing up our tactics in the first game (with some highly dubious decisions going their way) when they were being coached by the man who made everyone fear your club?
bring it on (rag or barca)