Champions League: Showdown At Ethihad Tonight As Man City Host Barca

Manchester City enter the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time on Tuesday night as they host Barcelona.

Despite substantial domestic success under Roberto Mancini, the club failed on each occasion to progress from the group stages.

Now with Manuel Pellegrini at the helm, a free-scoring City navigated a route into the last 16 at the first time of asking under the Chilean - something he has a record of doing, having been this far previously with Villarreal (twice) and Malaga.

Barcelona stand in City's way in the last 16 and this first-leg tie at the Etihad Stadium marks the first time the two sides have ever met in competitive action. Barca are a daunting force for anyone, but City can take real hope from the Catalan club's relatively poor historical record on English soil.

They have not won in England since 2007, some five games ago, when they beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield in the first knockout round - although they still went out on away goals.

Indeed from 28 visits to clubs in England, Barca have won just six matches, although that stat does not include their 3-1 win over Manchester United at Wembley in the final in 2011.

City may have a less illustrious history than their opponents, but they have lost just once in their last 23 continental games at the Etihad with that defeat coming to champions Bayern Munich earlier this season.

Victory over the two legs for Barca would see them book a seventh successive quarter-final appearance.

Source: Sky Sports.