Most experts grant Barcelona with a spot among the UEFA Champions League final eight, but this task may not be as easy as expected for Luis Enrique's men. Facing them will be Manchester City, a club whose silverware chances have been reduced almost to whatever they can do against Los Blaugranas, after losing their match against Burnley last weekend. With that in mind, and possibly with Manuel Pellegrini's job at stake, Manchester City's chances of shocking the current La Liga leaders were boosted by Lionel Messi's missed penalty in the first leg. How can the Sky Blues make "La Pulga" pay for that mistake?
1. City's form away from the Etihad has been way better during this Champions League season
Manchester City's players have improved considerably when facing elimination. Even with the current low form shown in 2015, the Sky Blues can brag about their group stage antics, which were nothing short of a miracle. Needing to win both matches remaining, Pellegrini's men went on and defeated Bayern Munich thanks to a hat-trick by Sergio Agüero back in November. Weeks later, the Citizens travelled to Rome and defeated the hosts 2-0 with goals by Nasri and Zabaleta, sealing their spot in the Round of 16. It's safe to say that, whenever things are getting tougher for them, Pellegrini's men go out and get tough.
2. Yaya Toure's comeback will boost City's midfield
Fresh off a three-game ban, the Ivory Coast midfielder will be aiming to lead his team to Champions League glory. Touré has been a key member of Manchester City's recent accomplishments, and in a game as important as this one, his presence should at least be taken into consideration by the Catalunyans. Furthermore, Toure did not leave Can Barça in the best of terms, so he might want to earn a little payback after the way he was treated a few years ago.
3. The chance of making history is too good to let go
Manchester City is currently six points away from Chelsea in the Premier League, with one game in hand for the Blues. They are out of the FA Cup, and the Capital One Cup was won by Chelsea. So, their only chance to add some trophies to their cabinets is this tournament. While Barcelona are yet to lose a game at their stadium in this CL season, Los Blaugranas have a tendency to concede goals while playing at Camp Nou, which may end up boosting City's chances of progresssion.
