Man City V Barcelona Pre Match thread.

[Carstairs]

Wind Suarez up and watch him do something stupid...

 

[Ric]

Apparently none of their players are a yellow card away from being suspended for the second leg, but four of our players are (Zabaleta, Clichy, Dzeko & Aguero). Would be a major blow if Aguero, in particular, was booked tonight.

Oh fuck could get away without the other 3 but you just no sergio is going to get booked for diving! Thought all yelliws were wiped after group stages though? Or is this another ffp fine against us?

According to UEFA, "all yellow cards from the beginning of the group stage will expire on completion of the quarter-finals."

 

[uwe rosler 28]

Apparently none of their players are a yellow card away from being suspended for the second leg, but four of our players are (Zabaleta, Clichy, Dzeko & Aguero). Would be a major blow if Aguero, in particular, was booked tonight.

Oh fuck could get away without the other 3 but you just no sergio is going to get booked for diving! Thought all yelliws were wiped after group stages though? Or is this another ffp fine against us?

According to UEFA, "all yellow cards from the beginning of the group stage will expire on completion of the quarter-finals."

Thanks for clearing that up eyes closed every time sergio goes in for a challenge then!

 

[chris85mcfc]

I fancy us to win tonight, 2-1.

Play without fear and providing we can impose ourselves on them I think we have more than enough quality to hurt them. Hopefully Milner is fit.

Hart, Zabba, Vinny, Mangala, Clichy, Fernando, Fernandinho, Silva, Milner, Nasri, Sergio

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Two big selection issue’s for me:

The first is MDM or Mangala. I would go Mangala, MDM played Barca last year and will be good mates with Messi from the National side, he is a solid option and won’t be phased by the challenge but Messi will know how and when to take him on + Neymar will see his lack of pace as a real weakness. Mangala has superior pace and strength but not the consistency and experience. I think you have to give him the opportunity to lay down a real marker here on how good he can be.

The second is midfield, It has to be a 5 including Silva pushed in the hole behind Aguero. 4 of the 5 pick themselves. Nasri, Dinho, Silva, Nando. The right side is between Navas and Milner. I’d go with Navas, his work rate is not far of Milner’s and I’d trust him to cause them problems when Alves looks to push up, I think he can out work him and out pace him on the break. You could argue Milner should be in as well and drop Nando but thinking back to Roma away and looking at the task in hand I’d play the specialist tackler and ask him to man mark Iniesta or whoever is linking all their play. I’d have a plan to bring on Milner to freshen up the midfield latter on.

 

[Chippy_boy]

I'd forgotten for a moment that Yaya was still suspended. What a complete tool getting himself sent off like that in the CSKA game. Bloody infuriating that we never seen to be able to put our best side out in these incredibly tough games.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Yaya’s absence might be a blessing in disguise. He is awesome on the ball but his work rate and intensity of it is the only weakness in his game. We need to close down every pass in midfield for 90 mins and Yaya’s game is not suited to that style of play but we can put out a team to do it. The two Ferns provide a much harder midfield to break down or pass through. If we can limit their possession to 50% then it will be an even contest and all about who takes their chances.

 

[waspish]

I'd play Lampard as in the Bayern game where he was always looking for that quick ball to Aguero with the 2 Ferns behind

 

[citytill1die84]

I'd forgotten for a moment that Yaya was still suspended. What a complete tool getting himself sent off like that in the CSKA game. Bloody infuriating that we never seen to be able to put our best side out in these incredibly tough games.

I think if Yaya hadn't got himself sent of we wouldn't have been playing tonight. Weird because in the 2 Champions League games we've won we've been better without him.

 

[birchvillablue]

I see the BBC Features & Analysis page is all about Suarez and Barca, don't remember a feature on PSG last week when they played the racist rent boys, wonder if there will be a feature on Monaco tomorrow... I remember exactly the same last year...