How to play against Barcelona?

Trying to dominate possession against Barca would be akin to them coming out and trying to physically bully us - it's not gonna happen. They are going to have much more of the ball than us so it is important we are set up to break quickly and attack in numbers with the few chances we get. Make sure Kolarov and Zaba time their forward runs, at home they have a bit of a gung-ho approach, but against Barca we will get punished for that. If we score first we have every chance, we can rattle them. It's impossible for us to win with a clean sheet, but 3-1, 4-2 etc is not. If we do go through, it will only be through away goals.
 
I agree. Trying to outplay them at their own game and what they do best is folly. We should exploit their weakness. Their defence. Our plan should be to Defend well. Attack with brute force and speed. Forget about dominating possession at nou camp. It's not happening.
 
---------------------------Hart----------------------

Zabaleta--------Kompany-------Lescott------Kolarov

-----------------Yaya-----Fernandinho-----------

----Navas-------------Nasri-------------Silva-----

----------------------Aguero-----------------
 
Many theories about how to play against barca. I would say City have to not care if it's Barca or Bolton. Keep the play, play with speed - quick and determined, like we know we can.
 
I think we should play a 4-3-2-1 with Yaya , Garcia and Fernandinho making up the midfield. This way Yaya can play freely and it will help protect the back line a bit. If we break on the counter with pace, we could give it a good go and hopefully get a good result. Barca tend to commit a lot of players forward and they don't have a great amount of pace in the central midfield role so with us playing on the counter we could win this...I hope. The only problem is breaking that possession of theirs down, which is a big problem.
 
ForzaMancini said:
Trying to dominate possession against Barca would be akin to them coming out and trying to physically bully us - it's not gonna happen. They are going to have much more of the ball than us so it is important we are set up to break quickly and attack in numbers with the few chances we get. Make sure Kolarov and Zaba time their forward runs, at home they have a bit of a gung-ho approach, but against Barca we will get punished for that. If we score first we have every chance, we can rattle them. It's impossible for us to win with a clean sheet, but 3-1, 4-2 etc is not. If we do go through, it will only be through away goals.
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I thought we got it bang on in the first leg, it was just a foul on Navas and a lapse in concentration that lead to their penalty and after that it was always a struggle with 10 men. I still think Demi should of just let Messi go through and if he scores, he scores, at least we have 11 men. Before that though I can't recall them having a chance, they had tons of the ball but I think we had the best of the actual chances. I think we should set up exactly the same albeit Aguero instead of Negredo, we had a few chances against them but Aguero can put them away. I think they will be scared stiff of playing against him just off the shoulder, Pique is slow as hell and Mascherano is a small player just like Aguero so he should be able to move free enough just in front of their back 2. This game will be so different because last time we relied on getting the ball forward to Negredo who on his own couldn't really do much, this time Aguero is a lot better on the ball and can make the space for us to get players forward on the break.

I really hope Pellegrini doesn't get lured into this one and puts 2 strikers out to try and attack them to death because that means they'll have more of the ball in a big space in that midfield area and it was a bit of tiredness and time on the ball which lead to their second goal. If we go to keep them out, play on the break and worry them, they'll get frustrated. If we get an early goal then they will be in big trouble and they've already had a dodgy last day or so. My only worry is us defending well enough to keep us in with a chance.

I think we can quite easily win the game but winning the tie is a different story, I say we can do it, then the scum get through, we get them and give them a battering and it's the semi finals here we come.....!
 
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