Those of us that revelled in the destruction of a rather sad-looking Newcastle United at the weekend and looked forward to City giving a game to the mighty Barcelona were returned to earth faster than a dead drone at the Etihad last night.
Having witnessed what we hoped was the re-emergence of Dzeko under the impending shadow of the African Champion, Bony, plus, for once, a cohesive display and destruction of a team that regularly sacrifices itself, Capital One Cup excepted in East Manchester, did we really believe that the stage was set for City to come into the Champions League light by getting a result against one of the world`s finest Club football teams?
I think we did. That was until Pellegrini astonished the watching world by naming an outrageous starting eleven which for this fixture simply did not make sense.
Barcelona is all about attack, all about pace, all about ball retention. So to select Demichelis in central defence on the side of the field that is the abode of one Lionel Messi was the starting mystery. Add to that the inexplicable selection of Fernando, known throughout this land for his irrational respect for the ball, alongside the endeavour of Milner and the lightweight Nasri and Silva, added salt to the wound, especially as this meant that the resurgent Dzeko would effectively be playing minus any food alongside Aguero who was no doubt up for it against his Argentine team mate.
People think that Barcelona play an attacking 4-3-3, but so fluid is their line-up that when they are on offence the full backs push forward and when there are on defence, admittedly not all that often, Messi and the ghastly Neymar tuck in. This means that more or less at all times they have five in midfield.
With City looking to get Silva and Nasri pushing things along it meant that at all times City only had Milner and Fernando in there to cope, unceremoniously with the task of a translucent yellow onslaught. They would have had more chance at the Alamo without any weapons.
For that is how the first half panned out. Having destroyed Newcastle at the weekend, City found themselves in grave danger of becoming those destroyed as Barca eased through the gears and displayed all of their mastery and masterclass in a football feast that left the neutral footballing world drooling.
Sheikh Mansour, the esteemed leader of the Club knows now, if he didn`t already, that the task ahead is not an easy one when faced with the continent`s elite teams and City still have a long way to go .
With Milner and Fernando chasing about and chasing their tails, the Azulgrana simply ghosted into position and attacked from all angles. It was probably to City`s credit that they held out for fifteen minutes before a little fortune favoured the Kings from Catalonia. Kompany, for ever the rock of the City defence was once again distrusting of his central colleague, was drawn out of position and once the ball found its way to the unattended Suarez the response was inevitable as he calmy drove the ball wide of Hart and just inside the far post.
Avid viewers of the Barclays Premier League learned one thing last season as the Uruguayan strutted his stuff at Anfield?leave him unmarked and he will score.
Around ten minutes later with Alves scorching down the left without barrier, waiting and waiting without a challenge until he could see some movement in the City area, Suarez made a typical darting run in behind Kompany to meet a pinpoint daisy cutter to once again the ball home without a problem.
This left us fearing a total battering as Barcelona let us know they were in town, sticking two fingers up to the Nasri notion that City are not scared of Barcelona. Rabbits in headlights were not the word as City reeled and reeled again and were no doubt ecstatic to have arrived at the break only 2-0 adrift. It was a half that yielded practically nothing positive for City apart from keeping the score down.
Dzeko found no space and no service and a lot of frustration, Aguero, too, was out of luck as the towering Stretford reject Pique and the former Liverpool clogger Mascherano kept him under wraps, indeed taking no prisoners on the one occasion that he looked dangerous. Silva was swamped and Nasri might have looked good against the Magpies but against opposition of this class, he looked in a different class, the bottom one.
After the break Barcelona looked to simply keep the ball. Their job was effectively done. No-one could see City rescuing a two-goal deficit at the bastion of strength known as the Camp Nou but in fairness to City they did not throw in the towel.
Just after the hour Pellegrini lost patience with the ineffective, neutered Nasri, sending on Fernandinho who must have been puzzled at his exclusion and things more positive started to emerge. Only half dozen minute later and with Bony having just replace the equally ineffective Dzeko, the Mighty Atom found space, set off on one of those runs and cut the ball back across Stegen to reduce the arrears. Optimists might`ve uttered the immortal words “Game on”.
This seemed to sting Barca into action and once again they pressed the Blues and with some help from the arbitro in terms of free kicks started to move up once again through the gears.
Hart was in no mood to see his line breached for a third time and although Zabaleta was at too narrow and with Clichy removed for a second yellow, it was all hands to the pump, chez City.
This was a time when Barcelona should have really scored at their leisure, but they still seemed content. Then as added time was about to evaporate a poor and unnecessary challenge by the once-again below par Zabaleta gave the ref an easy decision in pointing to the spot.
Up stepped the mighty Messi in readiness of eliminating City from the competition. He had failed to take into account Joe Hart, who guessed right and stopped the spotkick. But he did serve up the goodies for Messi to follow up and inevitably add the extras. Unbelievably he headed the rebound wide. I wonder why.
The cynic within the Pedmachine suggests that with the economic crisis biting hard in Spain, illustrated by only 1200 away fans attending this match, they really need to sell tickets for the return leg. At 3-1 sales might not have lived up to expectations. Was there something dark at play there? You could almost see assorted bookmakers rubbing their hands as the ball sailed wide making their “Messi to score anytime bets” render themselves null and void.
So City got out of the door at 1-2. At half time that looked a long distance away.
And it will be again in three weeks if City don`t adopt sensible tactics. Yes we will have Yaya back to add a much missed presence in midfield, but I think Pellegrini surrendered City`s case with his selection and tactics last night.
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