• Champions League

'City reunion with Barcelona unbelievable'

ESPN staff
December 15, 2014
Manchester City's Lampard debacle

Manchester City's director of football Txiki Begiristain says it is "unbelievable" they drew Barcelona in the Champions League again but believes Manuel Pellegrini's side will take confidence from their dramatic group stage escape.

The Premier League champions were pitted against the Catalan club in the last 16 for the second successive year giving former Barcelona player and sporting director Begiristain and CEO Ferran Soriano, who used to hold the same role at the Nou Camp, a return to their old club.

Lionel Messi scored in both legs as Barcelona eliminated Manchester City last season © Getty Images
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Barcelona beat City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium and 2-1 at the Nou Camp last season and once again City are at home in the first leg.

"It's unbelievable - we don't need to come next year," Begiristain told City's official website. "Every tie in that draw is the same, it's fantastic, so we're looking forward to it."

City only took two points from their first four Champions League games this season but salvaged qualification after defeating Bayern Munich 3-2, courtesy of a Sergio Aguero hat-trick, and the triumph against Roma in the Stadio Olimpico.

Begiristain added: "We have plenty of confidence with the way we qualified beating Bayern Munich at home and Roma away, so the players will be working hard to get fit and arrive in confidence for those games.

"We have improved our squad from last season and we have some real quality up front."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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