BARCELONA — Manchester City faces a huge challenge if it is to reach the last eight of the Champions League for the first time ever by overturning a 2-1 first leg deficit when it travels to an in-form Barcelona Wednesday. The English champion was outplayed at home for the second season in a row at this stage of the competition three weeks ago and could have been even further behind travelling to the Catalan capital had Joe Hart not saved a Lionel Messi penalty in stoppage time at the Etihad. Both sides also come into the game at the Camp Nou in contrasting form domestically. City's title challenge appears all but over after a shock 1-0 defeat at relegation threatened Burnley Saturday, whilst Barca has soared to the top of La Liga in recent weeks on a run of 16 victories in its last 17 games. Yet, City boss Manuel Pellegrini is insistent that his job is not on the line should elimination at the Camp Nou all but seal a trophyless season. Pellegrini was criticized by many for his over-eager attacking intent in the first leg, which allowed Barca's star front three of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar to prosper. However, he believes that philosophy is what still gives them a chance despite the daunting prospect of having to win at the Camp Nou. “The starting point is that it is possible to go to Barcelona and win. We have to have that mentality, our mentality. Our identity is to have a big-team mentality, to go to win. And now losing 2-1, we have to attack.” By contrast, Barcelona now has a treble in its sights with a potentially decisive La Liga clash with eternal rival Real Madrid to come Sunday and a Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao to look forward to at the end of the campaign. The backbone of the upturn in form from Luis Enrique's men has been Messi's incredible form as the Argentine took his tally for the season to 43 goals in just 39 games with a double against Eibar at the weekend. However, Suarez has also begun to make his presence felt after a club record move from Liverpool in the summer as last season's Premier League Player of the Year has struck six times in his last five games, including both his side's goals in the first leg. Barca will be without the injured Sergio Busquets, so Jeremy Mathieu is expected to deputize in central defense with Javier Mascherano moving into midfield. Gael Clichy is City's only absentee, the French defender is suspended after being sent-off in the first leg. In Germany, Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp is confident his side can reach the Champions League quarterfinals and in the process record its first-ever home win over Italian opponent Juventus also Wednesday. Dortmund, which beat Juventus to secure its sole Champions League trophy in 1997 in Munich, trails 2-1 after the first leg but Klopp is upbeat about it avoiding the fates of its predecessors on the three previous occasions it has hosted the Italian champion and lost. Klopp's side has taken 14 points from a possible 18 in the league recently, but has been held to goalless draws in both of its last two games, latterly Saturday's home match with Cologne. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is waiting on his playmaker Andrea Pirlo, who is rated as doubtful with a calf injury, which forced him off in the first-half of the first leg clash. Allegri is set to use a 3-5-2 formation with Patrice Evra, Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Stephan Lichtsteiner in defense. Juventus is looking to reach the quarterfinals for only the second time since 2006. — Agencies
