Manchester City face a huge challenge if they are to reach the last eight of the Champions League for the first time by overturning a 2-1 first-leg deficit when they play at Barcelona on Wednesday.
The Premier League champions were outplayed at home for the second season in a row at this stage of the competition, three weeks ago, and could have been even further behind travelling to Barcelona had Joe Hart not saved a Lionel Messi penalty in stoppage time at the Etihad.
The sides come into the game at the Camp Nou in contrasting form, domestically. City’s title challenge appears all but over after a shock 1-0 defeat at lowly Burnley on Saturday, whilst Barca have soared to the top of La Liga in recent weeks on a run of 16 victories in 17 games.
Yet, City manager Manuel Pellegrini says his job is not on the line should elimination at the Camp Nou all but seal a trophy-less season.
"I have no sense whatsoever that my job's at risk," Pellegrini told The Guardian. "The Champions League is very important but it can't distort everything."
Pellegrini was criticised by many for his over-eager attacking intent in the first leg, which allowed Barca’s star front three of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar to prosper.
However, he believes that philosophy is what gives them a chance despite the daunting prospect of having to win on Barcelona’s ground.
“The starting point is that it is possible to go to Barcelona and win. We have to have that mentality, our mentality,” he said. “Our identity is to have a big-team mentality, to go to win. And now losing 2-1, we have to attack.”
By contrast, Barcelona have a treble in their sights with a potentially decisive La Liga clash with rivals Real Madrid to come on Sunday and a Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao to look forward to at the end of the campaign.
The backbone of the upturn has been Messi’s fine form. The Argentine took his tally for the season to 43 goals in just 39 games with a double against Eibar at the weekend.
However, Suarez has also begun to make his presence felt after a club-record move from Liverpool in the summer as last season’s Premier League Player of the Year has struck six times in his past five games, including both his side’s goals in the first leg.
“It is pleasing to help the team with important goals in a Champions League knockout game and, of course, to return to England and beat a team you’re always motivated to face,” Suarez told Uefa.com.
“Players like me get inspired when fans boo them. It helps motivate you a bit more.”
Barca will be without the injured Sergio Busquets, so Jeremy Mathieu is expected to deputise in central defence with Javier Mascherano moving into midfield.
Gael Clichy is City’s only absentee, the French defender is suspended after being sent off in the first leg.
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