For the second year running, Manchester City and Barcelona meet in the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League – with the English side hoping for a different outcome than 12 months ago when Barcelona won 4-1 on aggregate.
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The clubs have common ground beyond last season's encounter. City's squad features Spaniards Jesús Navas and David Silva along with six other players signed from Spanish football including Yaya Touré, recruited from Barcelona in 2010. Additionally, they have a director of football, Txiki Begiristain, who knows Barcelona better than most.
This is only City's second appearance in the round of 16, but for Barcelona it is the 11th in a row. Their record at this stage over the past decade is eight wins and two defeats. The Azulgrana have qualified for the quarter-finals in each of the last seven seasons.
The teams met for the first time in a competitive fixture last term. Barcelona won the first leg in Manchester 2-0, Lionel Messi (penalty) and Daniel Alves scoring. Messi and Alves struck again in a 2-1 second-leg victory, sandwiching Vincent Kompany's goal. City had a man sent off in both games: first Martín Demichelis, then Pablo Zabaleta.
Possible line-ups
Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Mangala, Kompany, Clichy; Fernandinho, Fernando; Nasri, Silva, Milner; Aguero.
Out: Touré (suspended)
Barcelona: Bravo; Alba, Mascherano, Piqué, Alves; Iniesta, Busquets, Rakitic; Neymar, Messi, Suárez.
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