Barcelona will come calling at the Etihad with the aim of continuing their dominance over Manchester City and along with it, strengthening their place in the group. The Sky Blues suffered a demoralising 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Blaugrana and the result was particularly chastening for former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola. Although City started the match well, Bravo’s dismissal ensured the Etihad outfit’s failure to sustain the momentum and the game plan.
Pep will have prepared his players better for the reverse fixture and although City’s recent form has been anything but confidence inducing, their latest win over West Brom would have given them a much-needed boost.
Barcelona will be without Pique and Iniesta which will be a setback for them but as we have seen earlier, the supremely talented Camp Nou outfit need only a moment of brilliance from their famed front 3 to carve open a City defence, who truth be told, are still not solid enough to thwart them.
With the match deemed slightly more important for Manchester City than Barcelona, the home crowd will have to back their players and inspire them to perform at a higher level than they have till now. It will be crucial if they are to get one over Barcelona.
Meanwhile, let us take a look at the combined line-up of Manchester City and Barcelona. We will include fit and available players only.
T40’s COMBINED BARCELONA AND MANCHESTER CITY LINE-UP (4-1-1-3-1)
DEFENCE
Ter Stegen is our preferred choice in goal with Claudio Bravo suspended. Sergi Roberto has impressed as a makeshift right-back but Bacary Sagna’s experience and stability enables him to pip the young Barcelona talent. We are going with a young and promising pair at the heart of the defence with John Stones and Samuel Umtiti poised to become formidable names in the near future. With options short at left-back we are going with Gael Clichy in the position. Kolarov came a close second but his recurring errors made us go for Clichy.
