Manchester City F.C. manager Manuel Pellegrini has defended his decision to feature a 4-4-2 attacking lineup in Tuesday’s 2-1 UEFA Champions League defeat to Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium.
After being run over by the Catalan side in the first 45 minutes, City went into the dressing room down 2-0, courtesy of a Luis Suarez brace.
Sergio Aguero scored on 69 minutes to make things somewhat interesting, while Lionel Messi failed to score a spot-kick and the ensuing rebound in injury time, giving City a slim hope of reaching the quarter-finals.
When asked if he had any regrets over City’s tactics, Pellegrini replied: “No, I was very happy.
“It was the way we must play against Barcelona. We played two different games: the first half and the second half.
“Before the first goal it was a very normal game. After that we conceded a very easy goal and after that we played very bad.
“In the second half we did what we talked about before the game. We played well. It’s not easy to play against Barcelona.”
Alternatively, City goalkeeper Joe Hart believes his team-mates panicked during the early stages of Tuesday’s first-leg against Barcelona.
The England international, 27, was encouraged by City’s second-half display, but Gael Clichy’s red-card turned the tide in favour of the visitors and Suarez and co. did not look back.
“It is quite evident that we pressed until the first goal and then we panicked a bit — I think that was blatantly obvious to see,” Hart told ITV. “We got ourselves together. We are playing against world-class players here and regrouped second half.
“The occasion didn’t get to us, we know what we are about, but sometimes games don’t go for you and maybe that was the case first half.
“The performance in the second half was fantastic. I hope that is worth something. We were good for our goal and maybe good for a result tonight, but we will go to Barcelona for the second leg with a great group of fans and belief. We will have a right go.
“As the manager kept telling us, it was only the first half of the game. As bad as the result is, 2-1 at home, we go there and we have got belief.”
City are up against it now, and it will take something just short of a miracle for Manuel Pellegrini’s side to win at the Camp Nou in order to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
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