Manchester City's annual Champions League agony continues vs Barcelona

Aboutfreekick, MANCHESTER -- The agony the Champions League annually brings to Manchester City was only partly eased by the sight of Lionel Messi having his injury-time penalty saved by Joe Hart and his header of the rebound sliding by the post.

There were smiles among those home fans who had stayed behind. A moment of levity, perhaps even a glimmer of a chance for the second leg, but not one to disguise that at this level, in this competition, City again look short of the quality required to progress beyond Barcelona. An improved second-half performance might have forced an equaliser, but naivete -- once more -- cost them momentum. If not for Hart's heroics, their trip to Catalunya would have been little but a formality.

From the game management of coach Manuel Pellegrini to a regrettable display from captain Vincent Kompany, City's leaders cost their club. The prematch aim was to visit Barcelona in three weeks with something to protect. Instead, something unprecedented must be found.

Of City's defensive unit, only Martin Demichelis emerged with any credit. A year ago, it was the Argentinian's last-man foul on Messi that ended a two-leg contest after just 54 minutes. This time, Kompany was culpable in both Luis Suarez goals, Gael Clichy was dismissed for two clumsy tackles -- robbing his team of the impetus gained from Sergio Aguero's second-half strike -- and Pablo Zabaleta gave away the foul for the penalty that Messi missed.

"We repeat the same mistake as last year," Pellegrini admitted. "One player sent off. It is very difficult to play against Barcelona with 10."

Manchester City's naivete was perhaps best illustrated by Gael Clichy's clumsy challenge on Dani Alves, which earned Clichy his second yellow card and an early shower.

That struggling defence was not at all aided by the manager's choice of tactics. Playing 4-4-2 against Barcelona, even one that has lost its sheen since the glory of the Pep Guardiola days, was something of a suicide mission.

In place of the suspended Yaya Toure was James Milner, a player whose application brings decent results in England, but converting a winger to anchorman was high risk. Leaving Milner to partner the leaden Fernando while Samir Nasri and David Silva flitted to the flanks was betting the farm. In the face of overriding evidence to the contrary, though, Pellegrini stuck to his guns.

"It was the way we must play against Barcelona," he said. "We demonstrate that in the second half with the same names. Barcelona will always dominate in some parts of the pitch. We demonstrated it was the way we must play from the first minute."

As Fernandinho sat on the bench and Clichy's dismissal robbed Pellegrini of the chance to play his Frank Lampard joker, the game -- and in all likelihood, the tie -- were taken far from City's reach.


There are those City fans who feign indifference to the competition. The rationalisation is their club has little to no chance of winning anyway, so defending their Premier League title is a far higher priority. At least they know that is possible.

Even the chance to mock Manchester United, so desperate to return to this grand stage and dine at the top table with the likes of Barcelona, is being waved away. The Champions League anthem, "Zadok The Priest," was booed by fans before kickoff for UEFA's purported sins against their club. Financial fair play sanctions and a ban on fans traveling to Moscow this season have led to a rebel stance.

Whatever the validity of such attitudes, in playing terms, City remain the snot-nosed kids with their faces pressed against the window of a shop they cannot enter. Barcelona's performance level often suggested a team from another galaxy.

Messi ate up territory with the burn of pace that has not yet deserted him. Neymar was his adjutant in verve, his drops of the shoulder opening up gaping holes in what passed for City's defensive midfield, while Suarez was the line-leading workhorse, his killer instinct on English soil rediscovered with aplomb, his two goals celebrated with exuberance.

"I try every game for the team, and I think today with both goals I am so happy," Suarez said.


"We were great in the first half, superior in the centre of the park, able to create dangerous situations," Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. "They couldn't find Silva between the lines," he said of a period in which Ivan Ratikic and Sergio Busquets locked down midfield and forced those crucial errors from their opponents.

Vincent Kompany's decline in form was on display for all to see against Barcelona, and his missteps cost Manchester City.

The four-times champions' strut was assisted by the home team's repeated naivety, with Pellegrini's errant game plan sunk further by a litany of crashing errors. A player Alan Hansen, the quintessential ball-playing central defender, once described as the "best transfer buy of all time," Kompany suffered a torrid half as Barcelona breached to find their opening two goals.

First, he allowed Suarez another bite of a Messi cross, and then he made a charge forward, only for Suarez to surge into the space where he should have been. Jordi Alba's cross found the Uruguyan as Kompany, rooted, could only watch Barcelona's second slide in.

It was not until the 40th minute that Kompany completed a clean tackle, and a timely one too, as Messi was breezing toward scoring a fatal third. The Belgian came away with the ball and was chopped down for his troubles by Ratikic. City's captain raged at the referee but must have been unhappier with himself. Such vulnerability has been commonplace in a season depth-charged by injury and loss of form. Kompany's descent from the player he was three years ago is now proving damaging to his club.

Aguero's scuttling runs caused trouble whenever he received the ball, and he might even have equalised had City stayed level in personnel terms. He and Hart emerged with credit, but it was that first half and ruinous misjudgements made by manager and captain especially that caused City yet more Champions League torment.

John Brewin is a staff writer for ESPN FC