Champions League Last 16 games - Feb/Mar 2015

Manchester City XI vs. Barcelona: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernando, Milner, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko, Aguero
Barcelona XI vs. Manchester City: Ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar.
 
theyneverlearn said:
Manchester City XI vs. Barcelona: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernando, Milner, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko, Aguero
Barcelona XI vs. Manchester City: Ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar.
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City's midfield is awful.
 
Bob Loblaw said:
City playing 4-4-2 with Milner and Fernando as the central pair :eek:

Asking for trouble surely?
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Horrid. Can't believe Fernandinho is not starting. Comfortably our second best CM after Toure. Ridiculous decision. Hopefully Pellegrini knows what he's doing. I'd have dropped Dzeko for Fernandinho and gone three in midfield. Fair enough, we did respect Barcelona too much last time and I think our best approach is to just get at them, but that midfield pairing is so poor.
 
When was the last time that Milner played in central midfield?
 
Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer - Gündogan, Sahin - Mkhitaryan, Reus, Aubameyang - Immobile

On the bench: Langerak, Ginter, Kirch, Kagawa, Kuba, Kehl, Ramos

Subotic and Kampl are sick and can't play. I thought Kagawa played well in the last 3 games, strange decision that Mkhitaryan comes into the team, but he probably gives more support to the midfield.

Juventus: Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra, Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba, Vidal, Tevez, Morata
 
BobbyManc said:
Horrid. Can't believe Fernandinho is not starting. Comfortably our second best CM after Toure. Ridiculous decision. Hopefully Pellegrini knows what he's doing. I'd have dropped Dzeko for Fernandinho and gone three in midfield. Fair enough, we did respect Barcelona too much last time and I think our best approach is to just get at them, but that midfield pairing is so poor.
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Where is Toure?
 
Despite that City midfield, I fully expect them to put in a decent performance tonight. They're a strange team.
 
Balu said:
Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer - Gündogan, Sahin - Mkhitaryan, Reus, Aubameyang - Immobile

On the bench: Langerak, Ginter, Kirch, Kagawa, Kuba, Kehl, Ramos

Subotic and Kampl are sick and can't play. I thought Kagawa played well in the last 3 games, strange decision that Mkhitaryan comes into the team, but he probably gives more support to the midfield.

Juventus: Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra, Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba, Vidal, Tevez, Morata
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Yeah.. I would've expected Kuba at RM or maybe Immobile upfront and Aubameyang at RM. But allowing both problem childs to begin seems a big like a gamble.
The past couple of games from Kagawa also looked quite promising, maybe he's not fully fit.
 
Weak midfield for City, still expect them to nick a result tonight though. 2-1.
 
BobbyManc said:
Horrid. Can't believe Fernandinho is not starting. Comfortably our second best CM after Toure. Ridiculous decision. Hopefully Pellegrini knows what he's doing. I'd have dropped Dzeko for Fernandinho and gone three in midfield. Fair enough, we did respect Barcelona too much last time and I think our best approach is to just get at them, but that midfield pairing is so poor.
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I don't understand it either, poor coaching by Pellegrini. A 3 man midfield of Fernandinho, Fernando and Nasri would've been better than what he's put out. Perhaps he's wary of the threat of the barca fullbacks and reckons milner will be better at tracking them.
 
I don't know why, but think City will knock off Barcelona this time.
 
theyneverlearn said:
Manchester City XI vs. Barcelona: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernando, Milner, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko, Aguero
Barcelona XI vs. Manchester City: Ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar.
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Blimey; great as a neutral. Love Pellegrini's attitude compared to Mancini's a few years ago.

Some pressure Demichelis and Clichy could be under, given Zabaleta and Kompany almost unstoppable urge to surge and Silva or Nasri on that wing..
 
luckyspurs said:
Blimey; great as a neutral. Love Pellegrini's attitude compared to Mancini's a few years ago.

Some pressure Demichelis and Clichy could be under, given Zabaleta and Kompany almost unstoppable urge to surge and Silva or Nasri on that wing.
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It's good for a neutral but for me it just increase their chances of getting thrashed. How many teams have gone head to head with Barcelona the last couple of years and come off as the winner?
 
I don't understand why Fernandinho doesn't start every game. I might be biased by their performances against Arsenal but he's light years ahead of Fernando, surely?

3-1 to Barca.
 
On paper you have to fancy Barcelona but their away record In Europe is not exactly great. Think it'll be close it city can keep it at 0-0 for the first 20.
 
RooneyLegend said:
I don't understand it either, poor coaching by Pellegrini. A 3 man midfield of Fernandinho, Fernando and Nasri would've been better than what he's put out. Perhaps he's wary of the threat of the barca fullbacks and reckons milner will be better at tracking them.
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Interesting to see if it is Nasri or Milner playing alongside Fernando actually. Maybe if Pellegrini has put Milner out wide he wants to exploit Maschernao's lack of height up against Dzeko. Still, cannot believe why Fernandinho is not starting. He simply has to.
 
BobbyManc said:
Interesting to see if it is Nasri or Milner playing alongside Fernando actually. Maybe if Pellegrini has put Milner out wide he wants to exploit Maschernao's lack of height up against Dzeko. Still, cannot believe why Fernandinho is not starting. He simply has to.
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Nasri had a run playing at DM for us in one season, which didn't work out too well. Biggest game where it did was actually the 2-1 win v Barca, Wilshere/ Cesc/ Nasri midfield for the last half an hour turned it around. Hope you smash them.
 
BobbyManc said:
Interesting to see if it is Nasri or Milner playing alongside Fernando actually. Maybe if Pellegrini has put Milner out wide he wants to exploit Maschernao's lack of height up against Dzeko. Still, cannot believe why Fernandinho is not starting. He simply has to.
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222 Fer Milner- Nasri Silva - Aguero Dzeko
 
ThierryHenry said:
Nasri had a run playing at DM for us in one season, which didn't work out too well. Biggest game where it did was actually the 2-1 win v Barca, Wilshere/ Cesc/ Nasri midfield for the last half an hour turned it around. Hope you smash them.
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Thanks. I can't see Nasri being of much use in CM. Complete lack of defensive ability plus it wastes his talent and link-up with Silva. I'd be surprised and very disappointed if that's where he starts tonight.

peterstorey said:
222 Fer Milner- Nasri Silva - Aguero Dzeko
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Yeah seems the most likely set-up but Pellegrini has recently started using Nasri in CM towards the end of games a couple of times, so maybe it's something he's been working on recently.
 
ahhhh, my english stream is actually an american stream....
my ears hurt
 
Hope Barca smash them. City team looks very weak in midfield, the pundits on Sky are saying they're brave for going for it with a 4-4-2 like that, just naive again IMO.
 
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