Luis Suarez scored twice as Barcelona beat Manchester City 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash at the Etihad on Tuesday evening.
Suarez hit a first-half double for the visitors, but City had one back 20 minutes from time through Sergio Aguero.
City had to play the final 15 minutes with 10 men when Gael Clichy was given his marching orders, but Barca failed to score a third, with Lionel Messi missing from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action in Manchester.
Match statistics
MAN CITY
Shots: 13
On target: 5
Possession: 38%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 11
BARCA
Shots: 14
On target: 3
Possession: 62%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 13
Was the result fair?
There is no question that City improved in the second period, but when reviewing the match as a whole, there can be little argument that Barcelona deserved to secure a first-leg advantage. In the first half, Barca were simply too good for the home side, who surprisingly lined up with two strikers and afforded the Spanish outfit all sorts of space in the middle of the park. It was 2-0 at the interval, but it could have been three or four, with Suarez having a couple more half-chances and Dani Alves smashing the crossbar. However, City must be credited for their response in the second half at the Etihad.
Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko both had golden chances to score in the early stages of the second half, but Barca managed to survive a period that was dominated by the home side. City eventually found a goal after 69 minutes, however, with Aguero collecting a flick from David Silva before finishing into the top corner. Barca should have wrapped up the tie late on when Messi was brought down by Pablo Zabaleta inside the box, but the Argentine was denied by Joe Hart, before heading the rebound wide. As it stands, City have a slim chance, but they will be up against it following a strong Barcelona performance.
Man City's performance
Had this analysis been done after the first period, then it would have been a very, very different read. Head coach Manuel Pellegrini stunned many when he selected two strikers in his XI, with Aguero joined by Dzeko in attack. There was also a place in midfield for Nasri, with James Milner and Fernando acting as the two midfield pivots. It seemed a strange decision and Barca made use of their extra midfielder with an impressive first-half performance. In fairness to Pellegrini, he stuck to his guns at the interval, but there was a change of attitude in the second period. The hosts should have scored at least once in the 10-minute spell at the start of the second half, but poor finishing coupled with some good defending kept their score at zero.
Aguero popped up with a vital goal 20 minutes from time, however, to raise what had been a muted stadium for long spells. There is no question that the Premier League champions were a different team in the second period, but their performance in the first half might have already cost them the tie. A 2-1 defeat is not the end of the world, but Barcelona very rarely fail to score at Camp Nou, which would leave City needing at least two goals to just level the tie. Yaya Toure will be back for the second leg, but they will need to defend better, with Vincent Kompany struggling, especially in the first period. They will also be without Clichy for the second leg after the Frenchman received his marching orders for a high challenge on Alves.
Barca's performance
In the first period, Barca were sensational, but their level did drop in the second half. As discussed, City's lack of an extra midfielder harmed the home side in the first period and the Catalan outfit certainly made use of the advantage. It was 2-0 at the interval, but it probably should have been more, which would have all but ended the tie as a contest. There was a sense of complacency in the second half, however, with City allowed much more of the ball. Barca's defence has been much criticised in recent seasons, but Gerard Pique in particular had an excellent match at the heart of the back four. Javier Mascherano, who later moved into midfield, also made a number of super blocks during City's dominant spell in the second period.
Further forward, Suarez did the damage in the first period, but faded somewhat in the second half. Messi remained a threat, however, with the Argentine popping up all over the place in the final third. The only blot on the attacker's performance came late on when he missed from the spot, but it was still an impressive evening. Neymar, however, who has had an excellent season, found it difficult to influence the match. Barca were not really at their best for long spells, but they managed to turn the screw when it was needed. Winning away from home in Europe is never an easy task, but Barca made it look that way.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Gerard Pique: Perhaps a surprising choice, but Pique had an excellent match at the Etihad. The defender was criticised in the early part of the season, but his form over the last couple of months has been strong. Not only did the centre-back make a number of crucial blocks, he was prepared to play from the back when the opportunity arose. Mascherano had a few nervous moments positionally, but Pique hardly put a foot wrong on his return to Manchester.
Biggest gaffe
Messi proved that he is human in stoppage time when he missed from the penalty spot, but as is often the case, he had a second bite of the cherry as Hart's save dropped to the Argentine. Messi, who has now missed four of his last seven spot kicks for the Catalan outfit, stooped low to head, but placed his effort wide of the post. It was far from an easy chance, but one that Messi himself would have certainly expected to take. Could it prove crucial? Only time will tell.
Referee performance
German referee Felix Brych had a straightforward first period - issuing just two yellow cards during a half that lacked any real bite in terms of challenges. That changed in the second half, with Brych sending Clichy from the field for a late challenge on Alves. It was the correct decision, however, with Clichy foolish for making such a tackle while on a yellow card. There was to be one more major call for Brych to make, and he also got that one right with Zabaleta diving in on Messi inside the box. Overall, it was a decent night.
What next?
Man City: The Premier League champions return to domestic action on Sunday with a trip to in-form Liverpool.
Barca: The Catalan outfit, meanwhile, will travel to Granada in La Liga on Saturday.
Matt Law
