Midfield battle: Both Barcelona and City have several attack-minded midfielders in their ranks and that may lead to a high-scoring clash. Photo: AFP
Barcelona, 4-1 aggregate victors when the teams met at this stage last year, had found scintillating form since a 1-0 loss to David Moyes's Real Sociedad on January 4, winning their next 11 games in all competitions.
But that run came to an unexpected halt on Saturday when they lost 1-0 at home to Malaga in La Liga after a lacklustre performance completely out of keeping with recent displays.
Roughly 40 minutes after the final whistle sounded at Camp Nou, City set about constructing a 5-0 victory at home to Newcastle United that allowed them to cut Chelsea's lead in the Premier League to five points.
Following a 4-1 win at Stoke City, which had seen the English champions end a four-game winless run, the stylish victory provided further proof that their mid-winter slump has ended.
For City manager Manuel Pellegrini, it was a sign that his side are once again a "scoring team", but for all the optimism the performance engendered, it will not erase memories of what happened the last time Barcelona crossed his path. "It is important not to make the mistakes that we made last year," said Pellegrini. "In both those games, we played with one player less. In the knockout stage you have to not concede goals, and with a player sent off, it is very difficult. You have to think of the match as being 180 minutes, not 90."
Now under the tutelage of Luis Enrique, Barcelona are much-changed, with the team configured to move the ball as quickly as possible to a devastating front three of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi — who has already scored 14 goals in 2015.
When Barcelona have come unstuck this season, as against Malaga and Real Sociedad, it has tended to have been when teams have scored early against them and then defended en masse, but defender Gerard Pique believes City will not approach the tie so cautiously.
"It is one of the games of the year, the most important until now," said the former Manchester United centre-back. "They will try to attack us and that suits us. It has been proven over the past few months that we are better against teams that attack us because we can counter-attack."
Juve wary but confident: Chiellini
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has warned his side of the counter-attacking threat of Borussia Dortmund, but believes the Italians' Champions League ambitions will shine through in their last 16 clash in Turin.
Juventus underlined their status as Serie A champions in-waiting once again at the weekend after taking their lead over stuttering title challengers Roma to nine points.
Yet in Europe's premier club competition, the two-time winners have struggled of late. Juve crashed out at the group stages last season, having been ousted by eventual champions Bayern Munich in the 2013 quarter-finals.
Juventus and Dortmund also have some history in the competition: in 1997 the Germans famously beat the Italians, then defending champions, 3-1 in Munich.
"Dortmund have some good players, a few who played well at the start of the season are coming back from injury, but over two legs anything can happen," said Chiellini. "We can't afford to gift them opportunities to launch counter-attacks, because they have players who excel when you give them space.”
Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri is also pleased with his side’s performances of late. "This is a key period in the season, but we're coming through it nicely," said Allegri. "We're in great form for Tuesday's game. I'm not worried about the Champions League, in fact we're full of confidence."
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