Hi guys, similar to other threads, I think this game worth discussing.

Barca: known for the matured tiki-taka, having the deadliest trio, currently kinda on form, has Messi, playing at home. No major injury.

Man City: having PEP, and employing tiki-taka alike, most worthy-watching-attack in EPL. Not at their best form, but still scary as hell. Sagna seem to be the only big injury concern.

Both have their key players rested in the weekend. This game should be so much tighter than the recent years.

Prediction: Barca 2 - 1 Man City

Definitely the game to watch. Barcelona will be playing home however city has already faced them numerous of times and most City players are loved by Barcelona fans let alone their previous coach, Pep Guardiola.

An intense match it will be but one thing both teams need to consider is Defensive errors. No matter how strong your team is, a single mistake can cost you the game, both teams have commited these errors in their previous games so they should watch out this time cause both attacks are lethal. The game in the end will be decided by Sergio Busquets. I know the MSN can win you games even if the defence is shaky but let's all be honest here. Against Aguero, KDB, Sterling, Nolito and Silva. Outscoring opponents wont be easy. If Sergio Busquets is in form and focused, I see no reason why Barcelona cant win this.

Sergio alone can torment and pressurize the entire City midfield and with Rakitic and Iniesta who are both big game players to support the MSN, City's defence are in big trouble.

If City are aiming for a draw or a win, they should somehow need to stop playing tiki taka against Barca because Barcelona have Messi and Busquets and City don't. You cant play tiki taka against players who can stop it easily and know it all around. I would pretty much suggest Pep's squad to go for the counter with Aguero, Sterling and Nolito up front and KDB + Silva in midfield. Fernandinho should focus in stopping penetrating passes from Busquets and Iniesta, while Stones and Kolarov (Both pacy defenders) should stop Rakitic long balls.

Well, I may be wrong, I dont watch much city games and Barcaelona, so I hope their fans can say what they think.

Prediction: 1-1

disagree with no barca injuries. both starting full backs missing. might make it easier for sterlling and nolito to penetrate. also pep probably knows how to defeat/play against barca, so he might have a good game plan. if aguero gets his conffidence back, might be a hell of a game. that being said barca are going to win. because they're insane.

prediction:

barca wins 2:1

A feast of high quality football tonight! Even though I'm slightly more partial to Real Madrid, and clearly a Man Utd fan, I always enjoy watching Barcelona and, (now under Pep), Man City. Both play very attractive short passing football with flow. When on form, both teams front men can be unstoppable. For this reason, along side the fact that they currently have shaky defences, I predict a high scoring game.

Barcelona 3-2 Man City

@reyex: absolutely right about Busquets, this guy used to be utterly underated, but recently acknowledged by all for his ease of controlling mid. He's the reason so many high profile DMF, CMF have been benched in Barca reasonably. I always think Messi and Busquets are the keys to structure Barca's game (not neccessarily means they win or loose).

@Gonzi: Barca will more likely to start with Pique and Mascherano/Omtiti, and Sergio will be back for the right back too. Zabaleta will be back for MC (this was a huge concern). I think that's their fullback

@wescarlyon: same with me except Im more keen on Barca compare to Real, but enjoy both. Yeah, their defenses are shaky ATM

I expect a direct game play, just like Barca Bayern of last year, tiki taka means that the rival is playing defensive, Pep was asked if he would try to outscore MSN and he said he'd rather loose than change his play.
Imo Barca has big chances of winning it, but you have statistically more chances to get a result by harassing Barca defensively rather than closing spaces....anyway don't expect 90% pass accuracy from both teams, i suspect many vertical play from both sides.

Guardiola is obviously a better tactician than Lucho, and Pep knows this Barcelona team inside out. I think Pep has the advantage against Barca, regardless of whether it's a home or away match. I'm predicting either a 1-1 or a 2-1 victory for City.

We should be on course for some brilliant football. City is the only English team IMO to play on the level of the big guns.

I would say Barca smash them, but considering Barca defence isn't greatest I expect City to score at least one goal. Bravo will be key factor today. 3:1

Expect Barca win without much problems.

1 goal win to Barca and City to score at least 1. 2-1 or 3-2. I definitely believe that City has the potential to score more than 1 goal on Barca. Especially with both fullbacks missing. Would City be in the form they were a month ago, I'd say they'd win. But lately they have started to look a bit shaky and I don't believe KDB is fully back yet from his injury. Would be fun to see Sterling score on Barca for some reason.. so I'll go ahead and predict Sterling to score

I'd love Barca to win this game, however I expect this game to end in a 1-1 draw most likely.

First Goal for Messi, great effort!

Joe Hart must be seething :D :D

Expect Barca win without much problems.

Agreed. Kind of hope to be surprised though.

EDIT: Nevermind, just got home at the game is already in progress. City are useless.

Messi's great performance kind of covered up the work that the defense did. Umtiti did an amazing job, and despite two of our starters injured early in the game, our defense still stood well. Matheiu did a stupid challenge which got him sent off, but even after his sending off there were no goals scored.

Manchester City did do a good job at counter attacking, especially Sterling. If not for Bravo's red card, maybe the score could've been different, but it was a good game nevertheless.

rekt

Was a great game, technically great compared to all the games I have seen since the last weekend.

Man City was really good before the red card. How stupid both reda were. And Messi was being Messi, you just cant let him have any space

Even though my prediction was wrong, my analysis was almost spot on. Simple errors cost city the game. Messi's first goal was by far one of the most humiliating defensive errors i've ever seen, like how on earth can 4 defenders just leave the ball alone in their own box?! City played great but these errors were simply pathetic. They dispossessed the ball countless of times and were giving way too much space its suicidal, especially against the best trio in the world.

I said it before, and ill say it again, to win against Barcelona, you need to park the bus or play counter-attacking football, Barcelona have the most talented squad, even without the red card they would still get thrashed.

Joe is having the night of his life, lol, he was the one that saved city from humiliation against Barca in the past 4 fixtures, so where are all those haters against Joe.

Guardiola is a great but stubborn coach. But his defending tactics are pure shit. Even after what Atletico, Real and Barca showed against his Bayren squad in the past years, he still hasn't learned his lesson. You can't play the same tac-tic that you used with Barcelona on any squad you desire. He had Iniesta-Xavi-Busqets before, now Fernandinho-Gundogan- Silva. The class difference is enormous is just hilarious.

Once again Messi was Messi, he was simply playing around with City's defence, heck even Alaves defencce played better.

I have said this before, but @tikitaka was right, City revoloves around KDB, they only performed well because most teams they played against were new to the tiki taka system. I won't be surprised if teams like Villareal and Sevilla ran over them.

Well... there goes my prediction. City were good offensively, but complete trash defensively. None of their offensive advances actually threatened Ter Stegen though. Like @tuan said, both reds were extremely stupid. In the end Barca outclassed City, but not by much. City were their own demise.