Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero will play a crucial role against Barcelona Getty Images

Manchester City host Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday in the first leg of the round of 16 tie of the Champions League.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 7.45pm GMT. Live coverage of the game will be on ITV 1 and ITV 1 HD.

Overview

In a repeat of the round of 16 tie last season, the English Champions will be hoping for a different result from what they managed last season. The Catalans proved too good for the English club, as they beat them by a margin of 4-1 over two legs, killing their hopes of qualifying into the quarter finals of the Champions League for the first time in history.

City had a hard time qualifying out of the group earlier in the season, when they put in two valiant performances at the end to beat Roma and Bayern Munich in consecutive games to come second in the group.

It will be an extremely hard fought affair, as it was last season when Martin Demichellis' red card and penalty opened the floodgates for Barcelona, as they made easy meal of the Champions, before pressing the initiative in the return leg.

City will be boosted by the return of Ivory Coast international Wilfried Bony and Yaya Toure, whom they missed during the African Cup of Nations, with the former Swansea man yet to make his first start for the club.

Meanwhile, Barcelona seem to have turned a corner in the league and are playing with much more confidence and will be a force to reckon with, especially given the form their current front three are in.

However, they come into the game on the back of a shocking 1-0 loss to Malaga at home, which has left them four points behind leaders Real Madrid in the run-in.

They boast the best defence in the La Liga, who will be tested like never before with the likes of Bony, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko set to bombard their penalty box.

Luis Suarez will make his first return to English soil since leaving Liverpool for a record transfer to Barcelona in the summer and will hold the key to the Catalans' progression for the eighth consecutive time into the quarter finals.

What Managers Say

Manuel Pellegrini: "I think tomorrow we will see the real Barcelona here trying to continue in the Champions League," he said at a news conference in Manchester on 23 February. I said also last week it was important for our team to focus our minds just in Newcastle and to think on Tuesday. Maybe they didn't the same and thought they would beat Malaga in the same way but before that, they were playing very well and tomorrow I expect to find that Barcelona."

Luis Enrique: "I think he [Neymar] is on the right lines. He is improving tremendously compared to his first year. It takes time for a foreign player to come and settle in. He has a very high level as a player and always has done. He has gone through his settling in period and is bringing a lot to the side. He is quite lightweight and it is normal players like him suffer a lot of fouls. He is a great player for the fans to watch, very attractive, and a great level at the moment."

Betting Odds (By 888Sport)

  • Manchester City Win: 23/10
  • Draw: 13/5
  • Barcelona Win: 11/10

Team News

Manchester City

Possible XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Mangala, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho; Silva, Aguero, Nasri; Dzeko

Barcelona

Possible XI: Ter Stegen; Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Alba; Rakitic, Iniesta, Busquets; Neymar, Messi, Suarez

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