Sergio Aguero gave 10-man Manchester City hope and Lionel Messi missed a penalty, but Luis Suarez’s double leaves Barcelona in a commanding position
Match report: Manchester City 1-2 Barcelona
9.39pm GMT
Well it’s not the first time Lionel Messi has failed from the spot against an English side and it could have been worse for Manchester City. They looked dead and buried when they were 2-0 down at half-time, but it was a spirited response after the break and they deserved Sergio Aguero’s goal. Will it be enough at Camp Nou, though? They’ll have Yaya Toure back, but they’ll have to go there and win the second leg. Which is easier said than done. Barcelona are massive favourites now, although they may well think that they should be out of sight already. They had enough chances to kill City off before Aguero’s goal and you can’t help but wonder if they’ll end up regretting Messi’s missed penalty. Probably not, on balance, but you never know. Thanks for reading. Night.
9.38pm GMT
And that’s your lot.
9.37pm GMT
90 min+4: Joe Hart keeps Manchester City in the tie! Messi hammered a poor, Harry Kane-esque penalty to Hart’s left and the City goalkeeper pushed it out. But straight to Messi, who somehow put a reactive diving header wide of the opposite post when the goal was gaping!
9.36pm GMT
90 min+3: This is a disaster for City! Messi wins the ball off Bony and plays a one-two with Pedro, whose volleyed backheel was outstanding. Zabaleta dives in and brings Messi down.
9.33pm GMT
90 min+1: We’ll have three minutes of added time. “May I suggest a headline if it stays 1-2,” says Chris. “Twice bitten, one shy.”
9.32pm GMT
90 min: Fernando is booked for cynically bundling Suarez over on the halfway line. Meanwhile Messi has the ball in the City net, deliciously scooping it over Hart, but he’s inches offside.
9.31pm GMT
88 min: The wonderful Aguero wills his way up the left flank despite being surrounded by four Barcelona players and it takes an agricultural foul from Adriano to stop him. Adriano is booked.
9.29pm GMT
87 min: The stadium is silent.
9.27pm GMT
85 min: The red card has knocked the stuffing out of City as an attacking force. It’s all about making sure Barcelona don’t score again now.
9.27pm GMT
84 min: Pedro breaks down the left and his cutback finds Adriano. His shot from 25 yards is blocked.
9.25pm GMT
82 min: The City fans are now ironically cheering everything that goes their way, because it’s all a Uefa conspiracy and they’re so hard done by; but we already knew that when they gave the Champions Anthem a really good boo.
9.22pm GMT
80 min: Pedro replaces Neymar.
9.22pm GMT
78 min: City make a defensive change, Bacary Sagna on for David Silva.
9.21pm GMT
77 min: Hart makes a good save to deny Messi a goal. City were caught out by a chipped pass over the top from Adriano, the flag staying down as the ball fell to Alba on the byline. He pulled the ball back to Messi, whose deflected shot was looping in before Hart arced back and tipped it over the bar.
9.19pm GMT
76 min: They do fancy a third, you know. Alba bursts into the area and looks certain to score after beating Kompany, but Zabaleta steams back to stop him with a last-ditch challenge, the ball running back to the stranded Hart. Alba thought it was a penalty, but Zabaleta got the ball.
9.17pm GMT
75 min: The limping Alves is replaced by Adriano. Now then, will Barcelona fancy a third against City’s 10 men?
9.17pm GMT
74 min: Already on a booking. Gael Clichy picks up a second yellow card for catching Alvesd high on his shin. He was a fraction late in his attempt to win the ball and, unfortunately for City, he has given the referee no option. Oh City.
9.15pm GMT
72 min: Barcelona make a change, Jeremy Mathieu replacing Ivan Rakitic. Mascherano will move into midfield. But it’s all City. Busquets dawdles on the edge of his area and has his pocket pinched by Fernandinho. But Fernandinho and Bony end up getting in each other’s way.
9.13pm GMT
70 min: “Let me grab the easy one,” says Oliver Webster. “‘Sharking’ for Mr. Suarez and his quest to check if opposing players are edible.”
9.13pm GMT
Manchester City deserve this and they’re back in the tie! Fernandinho drilled a pass into Silva’s feet on the edge of the area. Off-balance, he managed to flick it to Aguero, who wriggled clear and clipped his shot over the advancing Ter Stegen! It’s on!
9.11pm GMT
68 min: Wilfried Bony comes on for his Champions League debut, replacing Edin Dzeko.
9.10pm GMT
66 min: Brilliant defending from Pique denies Dzeko a certain goal! Aguero broke down the right and scampered into the area, before unselfishly trying to set up Dzeko for a tap-in, only for Pique to throw himself in the way of the cross and deflect it behind!
9.09pm GMT
65 min: City are at sixes and sevens in defence again. The ball is gifted to Rakitic, who finds Neymar on the left. He jabs a cross to the far post to Messi, who manages to bring it under his spell before it goes out. He then toys with Demichelis, before firing the ball low into the six-yard box. A scramble ensues. City hack it clear and finally Iniesta’s shot from 25 yards is deflected straight to Hart.
9.07pm GMT
64 min: Rakitic gives Fernandinho the slip and cracks one over the bar from 25 yards. Suarez isn’t happy. He thinks Rakitic should have given him the ball.
9.06pm GMT
63 min: “Ferreting,” says David French. “That is a brilliant verb to apply to Messi. I wonder what animal verbs would suit the other players?”
9.05pm GMT
62 min: Fernandinho replaces Samir Nasri. “Though I share your assessment of City’s performance thus far, it might be worth noting that Joe Hart is the only thing standing between the tie being over and the tie being difficult,” says Peter McMurry. “Barca won’t/can’t Mourinhize the return leg, so City will have a few chances. (“Mourinhize” meaning play for 0-0, not allege a massive conspiracy between Barca, UEFA, MI6, etc).”
City need a goal tonight.
9.01pm GMT
59 min: Gael Clichy will miss the second leg after he’s booked for a late tackle on Rakitic.
9.01pm GMT
57 min: Silva and Nasri hold high-level discussions over the free-kick. Nasri taps it to Silva and he hoicks it to the far post. Kompany heads it on and Demichelis nods it straight at Ter Stegen from close range.
8.59pm GMT
56 min: Clichy curves an excellent pass around Alves and down the left channel for Dzeko, whose cross is deflected behind by Pique. Suarez heads the corner away, but Iniesta then concedes a corner 30 yards out for a high foot.
8.58pm GMT
55 min: Messi comes alive again, ferreting through the middle, away from one City defender, away from two. He shovels the ball to Rakitic, whose shot is deflected over from 20 yards.
8.57pm GMT
54 min: A strong tackle from Silva on the left sees the ball run to Aguero. He does well to outmuscle the tenacious Mascherano and shake him off, before opening up his body for a curler from 20 yards; Ter Stegen looks beaten, but the ball flashes just wide of the far post. This is better from City.
8.56pm GMT
53 min: Barcelona keep the ball for two minutes. City appear mesmerised as they do so.
8.53pm GMT
51 min: Sir Alex Ferguson is at the game. I wonder if he’s enjoying it.
8.53pm GMT
49 min: City have come out firing on all cylinders! Messi gives the ball away and City work Silva into a good position on the left of the Barcelona area. He pulls it back to Nasri, whose shot is desperately blocked by Mascherano. Moments later, Pique concedes another corner on the left. Silva takes it, it’s flicked on, and there’s Dzeko, all on his own inside the six-yard box. He has to score. He has to score. He doesn’t. Straight at Ter Stegen. Anywhere but there. What a miss.
8.50pm GMT
48 min: Dzeko meets Silva’s outswinger with a firm header, but the ball flashes just wide of the near post.
8.50pm GMT
47 min: Aguero wins another corner, this time on the left. The volume rises.
8.49pm GMT
46 min: And we’re off again! Is there to be more punishment for City or is there to be a roaring comeback? Well, they start the second half on the front foot, Aguero winning a corner on the right. Dzeko runs to the near post and the ball falls to Fernando, unmarked but unable to control. “I don’t know why Pellegrini has decided to play this way but it’s made it fun to watch,” says Rob Coughlin. “As for Mourinho, no he would have played things a tad closer to the vest. It would be 0-0 at half, 1-0 Chelsea at full. Mr. Pellegrini obviously likes things a little more frenetic. Too bad as Barca are not this much better than City.”
8.45pm GMT
“Of course Mourinho would never adopt these tactics, unless of course the bus got stuck outside the stadium,” says Oliver Webster. “Is that perhaps the problem? Where is the City bus?”
You’d think a club with this much money could afford a bus.
8.44pm GMT
“As a non-tweeter, can I use the MBM to thank Gary Naylor for helping me answer a pub quiz question last night?” says Colin Ward. “The question was ‘for which Scottish club did Roberto Martinez play for?’ I didn’t know off-hand, but remembered seeing the profile pic from Gary’s tweets in previous MBMs and guessed it might be Motherwell. So thanks, Gary, the point was crucial in helping us secure third-from-last spot.”
8.41pm GMT
“Jose would most definitely be reverse parking the bus whilst keeping one eye on his wing mirror for those nasty conspirators and keeping one hand free for a quick eye gouge if required,” says Chris Lawlor. John Obi Mikel would have committed around 24 criminal acts by now.
8.39pm GMT
If I may, as good as Barcelona have been, you can see that they will make mistakes with their passing. They can be hassled. City should have tried that!
8.35pm GMT
Ask yourself the following: would Jose Mourinho ever adopt these tactics for a game against Barcelona?
8.33pm GMT
Luis Suarez’s double has Barcelona in a commanding position at the break. Barcelona have been brilliant, but Manuel Pellegrini’s tactics have allowed them to be brilliant. He’s cocked this up badly and needs a massive rethink at half-time.
8.32pm GMT
45 min: Alves is booked for a swipe at Aguero’s ankles. Moments later, Aguero rolls a pass inside from the right to Nasri, who shapes a shot towards the left corner from the edge of the area, forcing Ter Stegen to make his first save, parrying it away. Alba stops Aguero forcing the rebound in, conceding a corner that Barcelona defend impressively.
8.31pm GMT
44 min: Alves hits the bar. A ricochet off Milner runs kindly into his path and he races off into the distance for another confrontation with Hart. With the ball bobbling a little, he goes for the chip and gets the ball over Hart, but not down in time for it to land satisfyingly in the empty goal. Barcelona should be winning by four or five.
8.28pm GMT
41 min: Rakitic is booked for a foul that he committed at the end of that Barcelona counter a minute ego. The referee played an advantage to City and then went back to book the Barcelona midfielder.
“In addition to Gary Naylor’s tweet (no tweeter, sorry, still living in 2005), I can disclose that Barcelona’s line-up is the following,” says Joao Andre.
8.27pm GMT
40 min: City scream for a penalty as Pique blocks a shot from Dzeko from 25 yards. The referee waves their appeals away. I haven’t seen a replay and there’s no time to dwell on that, because soon Messi is threatening to run clear and put this game to bed. He’s denied by a fine challenge from Fernando.
8.25pm GMT
39 min: When Arsenal were played off the park by Barcelona at the Emirates in 2010, they actually offered more than City have managed tonight.
8.23pm GMT
37 min: “If you’re city, now what do you do???” asks Rob Coughlin.
Me? I’d cry.
8.23pm GMT
36 min: Barcelona could score a hatful if they keep their focus. Now it’s Messi’s turn to be denied by Hart after more delightful intricacy, the City goalkeeper diving at his feet and just coming out on top. Eventually the referee blows for a free-kick against Messi, ruling that Hart had two hands on the ball.
8.22pm GMT
35 min: When City review Pellegrini’s position at the end of the season, this is a first half that could make up their mind about him. City haven’t got a clue about how to stop Barcelona.
8.20pm GMT
34 min: Dzeko reaches the byline, but his cross takes a deflection and lands in Ter Stegen’s grasp.
8.19pm GMT
32 min: Zabaleta clears off the line! City’s offside trap horribly backfires and Neymar is sent through on goal. He lobs Hart with the outside of his right foot, but there isn’t enough power on his effort to beat the covering Zabaleta, who races back and hooks the ball clear. But City are all over the place. This is a sham of a performance. Pellegrini’s tactics have been absurd.
8.18pm GMT
A second for Luis Suarez, but this is an outstanding team goal. Lionel Messi materialises on the edge of the City area. He’s surrounded by a load of City defenders but, well, so what? The little magician waves his wand and dances past them, darting through the smallest of spaces, and then he plays a pass to Alba on the left. He has so much time. He takes a touch and clips the ball into the six-yard box, where the sliding Suarez diverts it past Hart and into the far corner. That may well be the tie decided and it’s another double for Suarez against Joe Hart, who must be sick of the sight of him.
8.15pm GMT
29 min: Is there a case to be made for taking Dzeko off now and bringing on Fernandinho?
Barcelona appear to be playing a 5-5-5 formation @JacobSteinberg
8.13pm GMT
27 min: This is better from City, neat interplay down the left getting Silva behind Barcelona. He wins a corner. But Suarez heads it away at the near post.
8.13pm GMT
26 min: It’s all Barcelona. If City don’t sort themselves out sharpish, this tie is going to be over before they know it. Neymar darts inside from the left and carves City open with a prod through to Suarez. He’s again, but he can’t slip the ball underneath Hart. That’s a fine save.
8.11pm GMT
25 min: A long spell of Barcelona possession - just look at the gap between my entries - ends with Rakitic being caught offside from Alves’s cross. But City are not set up correctly. Their work off the ball isn’t remotely good enough at the moment and Barcelona are rarely being knocked off their stride.
8.10pm GMT
22 min: But City are vulnerable whenever Barcelona attack. Alba escapes on the left and floats a cross into the area. It misses everyone in the middle but comes to Alves, who can’t control his volleyed cross, the ball flying high and wide. “One of the impressive things about Suarez is how cleanly he strikes the ball - even most of misses are struck technically well,” says Jakob Ronander. “As a consequence he has that rare striker’s ability to rarely blast over, even at chances he needs to snatch at. He can keep it down all night.”
8.08pm GMT
21 min: City respond with a flowing attack down the left. Clichy hangs an inviting cross into the area and Dzeko rises highest, only to see his header drop a yard or two wide. That was unlucky. I don’t think Ter Stegen would have saved it if it had been inside the post.
8.07pm GMT
20 min: Messi ghosts past a challenge in midfield and sprays a superb pass out to Alves on the right. City are exposed again. Alves hangs a cross to the left of the area, where Suarez tries a volley. He completely mistimes it, but the ball deflects off a team-mate, and runs through to Hart. That could have ended in disaster for City. Messi was sniffing around, although he might have been offside.
8.06pm GMT
19 min: It must be said that on another big European night in this ground, the atmosphere is flat again. Do these fans believe?
8.05pm GMT
18 min: A fair few City fans may well be questioning the wisdom of this 4-4-2 formation already. A second Barcelona goal and this tie could be over.
8.04pm GMT
The goal had called to let us know it was on its way - and it had to be him. It’s a dismal goal from City’s perspective, though. Messi popped up on the right and chipped a pass that was intended for Suarez into the area. It missed its target, but hit the unwitting Kompany on the back and fell to Suarez, whose first-time finish, snapped low past Hart from the right, was lethal. He enjoyed that.
8.01pm GMT
14 min: Barcelona are down to 10 men for the time being, with Neymar off the pitch and getting a problem with his boots sorted out.
8.01pm GMT
12 min: Neither team looks much use at the back. A mistake from City in midfield leads to Suarez speeding through on goal from the left, the home fans immediately falling silent. Kompany does well to chase back, however, and Suarez seems to get caught in two minds, deciding to look for Messi in the middle rather than shoot. His pass is cut out, but the ball falls to him again. There’s no messing around this time, Suarez rapping a volley just past the near post.
7.57pm GMT
11 min: A few boos as Suarez gets on the ball on the left. No one’s heart was in that. Moments later, Barcelona almost take the lead after some breathtaking skill from Neymar. Iniesta found him on the left and he sucked Zabaleta in and then whipped the ball around him brilliantly - see ya! - and slid a pass through to Messi. His shot from close range was blocked by a crucial challenge from Demichelis.
7.56pm GMT
9 min: A clutch of City players stand over the ball. Eventually they stand aside and leave it to Milner, whose low effort is blocked by a Barcelona defender.
7.55pm GMT
8 min: Neymar sloppily concedes possession inside his half and Aguero is quickly on the ball, running at the Barcelona defence. He cleverly evades Mascherano and his Argentina team-mate brings him down just outside the area with an ill-timed lunge. Once again, it’s panicky defending from Barcelona and City have a free-kick in a very promising position.
7.54pm GMT
7 min: Barcelona look shaky for the first time. Milner knocks a straight ball through the middle to Dzeko and Mascherano’s defending is jittery, allowing the City striker to bring the ball down and attempt a shot from 20 yards. It’s blocked and runs away for a throw. From there, Barcelona win possession. Alba tries to play a pass down the line, and smashes the ball straight into Dzeko’s stomach. He’s momentarily winded, but the damage isn’t permanent.
7.51pm GMT
6 min: Dzeko has a feel of the ball. just inside the Barcelona half. He’s immediately surrounded by three Barcelona players, but Mascherano brings him down.
7.50pm GMT
4 min: Would it surprise you to learn that Barcelona aren’t letting City have a touch?
7.49pm GMT
3 min: Dani Alves storms forward down the right and lofts a cross into the box. Suarez challenges for it, but it’s an easy catch for Hart.
7.49pm GMT
2 min: Messi picks up the ball in the centre circle and with City putting no pressure on him, he chips a pass over the top to Suarez, City’s back four suddenly exposed. It looks like the ball is going to land on Suarez’s foot, but Kompany recovers, volleying it behind for a corner which comes to nothing. Barcelona already seem to have a lot of time in midfield, Busquets in particular.
7.47pm GMT
And we’re off! But not before some booing of the Champions League anthem from the City fans. Take that, Uefa! And that! Once that nonsense is out of the way, Barcelona, in a fluorescent yellow away kit and playing from right to left, get us underway. “The worry is that Barca have given up the midfield style for a forward line which is Messi on lead vocal and Neymar providing the odd harmony,” says Charles Antaki. “Suárez comes in with a bit of Bez dancing now and again and that’s tolerable - until they lose a match, as last week, then the nostalgia for the old ways breaks out.”
7.44pm GMT
Here come the teams! They’re both wearing tracksuit tops, but they’ll have them off soon enough, and then the football can begin. Who’s excited? “I‘m no fan of City, but that selection might be just what they need,” says Matt Dony. “They seem to enter these big European games with such an inferiority complex, which seems crazy considering the quality of players they’ve got and the way they approach the big domestic games. They strive for a swagger against Chelsea, but have cowered in fear of Barca in the past. Selecting two strikers, two out-and-out goals scorers (again, no fan of Dzeko, but he does knock them in) sends a message to the team. I predict a close first half, then Suarez will either win it with a wondergoal, or get sent off. Probably for biting. I’ve missed him.”
7.34pm GMT
Roberto Martinez is a pundit on ITV and the Everton manager reckons that Barcelona are using a more direct style, with less emphasis on midfield possession. “This is a massive contest for both clubs and in particular their respective managers,” says Magnus Michael. “I am pretty sure, the loser won’t be around come the summer.” Inclined to agree, Magnus.
7.29pm GMT
The Manchester City players who will miss the second leg if they pick up a yellow: Clichy, Zabaleta, Dzeko and Aguero.
The Barcelona players who will miss the second leg if they pick up a yellow: no one.
7.26pm GMT
And what of Barcelona? The general consensus is that they are not what they were and that is encapsulated by the sight of Xavi, the symbol of Guardiola-ball, sitting on the bench. His powers, inevitably, have waned as he has grown older, while there was talk of crisis at Camp Nou a month or so ago. There were even whispers that Lionel Messi could leave in the summer because he did not see eye to eye with either the board or with his manager, Luis Enrique. Barcelona then went on an 11-match winning streak, beating Atletico Madrid three times along the way, and Messi, Suarez and Neymar have started to click; Messi in particular is getting back to his frightening best. On Saturday, however, that run was ended by Malaga’s 1-0 victory at Camp Nou, and it is clear that this is a side that can be exposed by a strong attack. That said, they may well back themselves to score more than City. “The weak Barca back four could be torn apart tonight they have been dodgy all season & have been exposed by lesser teams than City,” John McEnerney reckons. “No Toure for City will be crucial but they have enough quality to beat this FCB. 2-1 home win, set pieces will be key for MCFC!”
7.12pm GMT
There are no surprises from Barcelona, but a couple from Manchester City. Manuel Pellegrini has taken the opposite approach to last year’s tie, when he played Aleksandar Kolarov on the left of midfield, and has picked Edin Dzeko alongside Sergio Aguero, a positive move, but potentially a costly one. That means it’s a good old-fashioned 4-4-2 against Barcelona’s 4-3-3 or, to put it another way, two banks of four or, to put it another way, TBOF. Mr Manuel has done a Mr Roy!
In my high-level discussions with my City pal earlier, we settled on a front six of:
7.06pm GMT
Man City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy; Nasri, Milner, Fernando, Silva; Dzeko, Aguero. Subs: Caballero, Sagna, Bony, Jesus Navas, Lampard, Mangala, Fernandinho.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Dani Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Jordi Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar. Subs: Bravo, Xavi, Pedro, Rafinha, Sergi Roberto, Adriano, Mathieu.
6.30pm GMT
Hello. What does it mean to be great? The evolution of this Manchester City side has been fascinating to watch. In the first match of the Sheikh Mansour era, a 3-1 home defeat to Chelsea in September 2008, Mark Hughes had players like Richard Dunne, Michael Ball, Stephen Ireland and Jo in his team, and it is fair to say that City have improved at a furious rate since then. For the first couple of years, they were flakey, unreliable ... they were very much Old City. They flashed the cash, but they were some way off where they wanted to be, too brittle, too immature, not yet ready to make the jump from good to very good. Even when Hughes was sacked and replaced by Roberto Mancini at the end of 2009, City still ended up missing out on qualification for the Champions League.
But, slowly, they were getting there. They finished third in the 2010-11 and you may recall that they were responsible for a fairly dramatic finish to the 2011-12 season. They won their first league title since the late 60s, they thumped Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford and they played some of the finest football we have seen in England. City had matured into a cracking, intimidating side. A proper outfit. But a great one? Arguably not. They did not romp to the title and after flopping in their Champions League group, they made no impression in the Europa League. On the continent, they still played like minnows, even though they had David Silva, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero.
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