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MOTD- Manchester City 0-2 Barcelona

By on February 18, 2014

It wasn’t quite the most dominant performance Barcelona have ever put in, but then again, they don’t play sides with the quality of Manchester City every week.  Although the Spanish champions’ trademark possession game mostly worked as they visited City at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie, keeping the always astonishing 68% of possession, Barcelona ended up relying on a few favorable refereeing decisions to come out with a 2-0 win that will probably wrap up a massive tie. Yet of course, those same refereeing decisions also affected the outcome for City, and manager Manuel Pellegrini certainly knows that he has a mountain to climb if they have any chance of winning the tie. This, he made clear to the referees at the end of the match, in a confrontation involving much finger-jabbing, which is likely to be investigated by UEFA.

Although the Chilean had a point, he should also focus on what his side did wrong. City were nervous in possession, something you can never be when facing a side the hardly gives you a kick of the ball. Meanwhile, when they did push forward, Pellegrini’s side left themselves too exposed to the excellent quick counter-attacking of Barca. Yet in the opening half hour this hardly seemed to be a problem, based on the fact the Barcelona barely allowed City a touch on the ball. The visitors had kept an incredible 73% possession by the fourteenth minute, but couldn’t break through the City defense.

On the other hand, when City broke on the counter they looked very dangerous. Alvaro Negredo nipped through the Barca defense, latching onto a neat David Silva through ball in the seventeenth minute and holding off Gerard Pique. The forward was pushed wide right of goal, but somehow managed to cut a shot over Victor Valdes and across the face of goal before Barca cleared the lose ball. This caught Barca by surprise, and the home crowed urged City forward, causing the visitors some surprise.

Yet order was soon restored, with Xavi smacking the first shot on rn target towards the top corner from twenty-five yards out in the thirty-second minute. Joe Hart did well to move across and palm it to safety, but Barca were once again caught on the counter when Negredo headed Jesus Navas’ inviting cross from the left inches wide of the near post moments before halftime.

Unlike the in first half, City started the second period on the front foot. However, things went horribly wrong in the fifty-second minute as Andres Iniesta expertly picked out the run of Lionel Messi down the left channel. The Argentine was clear in on goal, yet Martin Demichelis gave chase and slid in for a hopeless challenge, slicing Messi down for a clear free-kick inches away from being a penalty. There was no denying it wasn’t a straight red card, yet the surprising decision came as referee Jonas Eriksson adjudged it a penalty, just another point to add to Pellegrini’s raving accusation of the poor refereeing.

He (referee Jonas Eriksson) did not have any control of the game. He favored Barcelona from the beginning to the end. I think it was not a good idea to put a referee from Sweden in charge and a referee who made a mistake against Barcelona in the group stages.” – Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini

Messi coolly tucked the penalty home straight down the middle, and City began to wobble. Yet once again they caught the visitors on the break, with David Silva using his chest to neatly bring the ball down, before smacking a sweet dipping volley towards goal from the edge of the box in the seventy-sixth minute. Valdes parried it wide, to stop what would end up being Barca’s final scare. For the rest of the match they were in control. Gerardo Martino’s side thought they had bagged the winner nine minutes from time after a brilliant one touch passing combination ended with Cesc Fabregas laying it off for Pique to tap in, only for Xavi’s ball through to Fabregas was, wrongly, called for offside. For once, the decision went Pellegrini’s way.

Yet that didn’t stop City from conceding another vital goal seconds into stoppage time, with more Barca brilliance tearing their defense to shreds. It was Dani Alves poked the killed pass into the run of Neymar down the right side of goal this time, setting up the latter to slice a low shot through the legs of Hart from a very tight angle. It seemed impossible, but Barca were up by two. The Catalans held on until the end, leaving City needing a 3-0 win at the Nou Camp. If Barca score in the return leg, tie over.
Man of the Match: Xavi

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.