Manchester City welcomes Barcelona to the Etihad for their first competitive match against each other. This fascinating Champions League match can be seen live on Fox Sports 1 USA at 14:45 ET.

Preview: Manchester City want to show their coming of age

Manuel Pellegrini has helped guide Manchester City beyond the Champions League Group Stage, but he now faces a more difficult task. The Chilean manager has his squad competing on four fronts this season, but getting past Barcelona may be his toughest task since his arrival at the Etihad. 

Free-flowing offense has City scoring loads of goals, despite an occasional slip-up here and there. They are currently third in the Premier League standings, but they have a game in hand.

 

At home this season, City have the most potent offense in all of the English top flight. They have 42 goals scored at the Etihad, while they have only conceded nine, in 12 league fixtures. Those are not bad stats, but with Messi and Barcelona coming to down, City will need to make sure they eliminate any mistakes.

"Beating Barcelona would be like a coming of age for Manchester City," said David Silva. "It is very important for our confidence and international recognition."

"Barcelona are favorites. They have the history, the experience, and the best player in the world in Leo Messi. But of course we have an opportunity. We believe in ourselves and in our football. The key is to keep the pressure on for 90 minutes, to avoid silly mistakes and take advantage of our chances. Against such a good team, you cannot miss them."

Taking their chances will be a must for City, as well as Barcelona. Pellegrini will not have Sergio Aguero available for this match, so he will rely on Dzeko, Jovetic and Negredo to carry the load if called on tonight. 

Pellegrini will also try to take advantage of another chance to go head-to-head with the Catalans. During his time in La Liga with Villareal, Real Madrid and Malaga, the Chilean has a 4-4-14 record against Barcelona.

"It's a good chance to show how good we are," Pellegrini told reporters. "They have a lot of experience, they have a great team, they have the best player in the world but I think also we are a good team with good players."

"I don't have any fear about player Barcelona because this team has got to continue to develop mentality to play against important teams, whether that's in the last 16, or the quarterfinals. I hope we can win at home."

Defeating Barcelona would be a massive achievement for City, but despite Barcelona's struggles on the international stage in the last two seasons, they should not be overlooked.

The Catalans are still an extremely talented squad, with majority of the same players. They all know the ins and outs of the club, and they know the importance of matches of this magnitude. 

Stopping Messi will be City's main focus, but they must also not take their attention off players like Pedro, Alexis Sanchez, Neymar and even Fabregas. The former Arsenal captain has enjoyed his fair share of goals since his move back to Spain, and he would certainly love to grab another goal in his return to England.

Without Aguero for City, Messi will not get a chance to go up against his fellow Argentine. The two of them lead their club in most goals scored in this competition with six a piece. Providing the assists for them have been Samir Nasri with four, and Xavi with three.

Taking a positive result back to Barcelona is a must for the Spanish side. But even a draw may not be good enough, as City have already gone to the Allianz Arena earlier this season and defeated Bayern Munich. The same Bayern Munich that made quick work of Barcelona last season, so Tata Martino will be extremely cautious.

Both sides come into Tuesday's match in good form. City knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Jose Mourinho's side. Meanwhile, Barcelona had an easy task against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou, as they came away with a comfortable 6-0 victory.

Where To Watch This Match - Live Stream, Start Time, TV Channels, Live Scores

Watch Manchester City vs Barcelona live on Tuesday, February 18, 2014:

In Canada at 14:45 ET on: Sportsnet West, Sportsnet World Online, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet East

In the UK at 19:45 GMT on: BBC Radio 5 Live, UTV, BBC Manchester, ITV 1, ITV Streaming

In the USA at 14:45 ET on: Fox Sports 1 USA, Fox Soccer 2Go, TV3, Fox Deportes, SiriusXM FC, ESPN Deportes Radio

For viewers in Spain, you can follow all the action on TVE, Canal+ 1 / HD / 30, RTVE.es, TV3 and Esport3. If you are outside the above mentioned countries, be sure to visit the Manchester City vs Barcelona match page for full TV listings.