Man City could have beaten Barca more emphatically – Ilkay Gundogan

Pep Guardiola’s side take on the newly promoted Middlesbrough in the Premier League this weekend.

Arsenal and Liverpool now share top spot with Manchester City with 23 points.

Lionel Messi had given Barcelona the lead early in the game but sadly Luis Enrique could hold on to their lead.

Firstly, Kevin De Bruyne scored a magnificent free-kick to give City the lead, before Gundogan’s second 16 minutes from time secured their best win in European competition.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi allegedly called an unidentified Manchester City player “stupid” in a tunnel altercation after their Champions League clash.

City are now second in Group C after this win.

Apparently, the player “insulted” the Argentinian forward and he responded by calling the player an “idiot”. “We didn’t expect to go to the final with Dortmund, we were developing as a team as we went along”.

However, the Citizens turned the game on its head when Ilkay Gundogan equalised in the 39th minute, with Sergi Roberto being made to pay for a wayward pass in the build-up to the goal.

“It proves that even the best make mistakes”, Nolito said.

City now have seven points from their four games, two behind Barca and three ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach with two fixtures to play.

“The first half-hour was a bit nervous but after that we found the key to put them under pressure”.

“We got to know each other better tonight, and we’re lucky that if we get through, we won’t get Barca in the next round!”

“The most important thing is that we won and now we have to keep going. We depend on ourselves, we have two hard games left”.

“We are in a good way, this was very important to win to go through the group stage”.

City legend Mike Summerbee and current boss Pep Guardiola were also in attendance as some lucky fans got up close and personal with their heroes past and present. Despite playing limited time on Tuesday, Nolito is enjoying his City adventure. It was more about the mentality and winning the one v ones.

He added: “I’m not anxious or surprised, they’re things which happen in football”.

“We don’t play against Barca, we play against us; against our tradition and what we have to do”. He is a great striker.

They may lack a grand tradition in Europe like Barca but now have the coach who once helped the Catalans revolutionise the game – and he recognised something hugely significant in the way they came from behind to dominate.

Adriana Garcia is a Valencia-based football writer who covers La Liga for ESPN FC.