Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes goalkeeper Joe Hart’s injury-time penalty save from Lionel Messi has kept their Champions League hopes alive.
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Luis Suarez’s two first half goals gave Barcelona a 2-0 lead before Sergio Aguero pulled a goal back.
Hart then denied Messi with virtually the final kick of the last-16 first-leg match.
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“It gives us more chance to win in Barcelona,” said Pellegrini.
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“It was a very important save, firstly because it was not a necessary penalty as we must control our emotions in the box, but also it would have been very difficult at 3-1.”
The goalkeeper dived left for the last eight penalties that Lionel Messi has had saved.
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Argentine playmaker Messi has scored 44 of the 57 penalties he has taken for Barcelona and boss Luis Enrique refused to blame him for his miss.
“Players who take penalties will always miss some but we have full confidence in Messi,” he said.
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“We played a very complete game and we should be very satisfied with that. This was a very good display from our team, we were much better than our opponents.”
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City travel to the Nou Camp on 18 March and will need to score at least twice to have a chance of progressing.
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City, who had Gael Clichy sent off late on, travel to the Nou Camp on 18 March and will need to score at least twice to have a chance of progressing.
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Barcelona have only conceded two goals at home in a single game once this season – against Villarreal on 1 February – with the visitors ultimately losing 3-2.
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“If we go to Barcelona and play in the way we normally do, like we did in the second half, then we will have chances,” added Pellegrini.
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“If we play in the way we can play, we can do it. I must repeat though, that we cannot continue making the same mistakes and getting people sent off, as we had Martin Demichelis sent off when we played Barcelona here last year.”
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He added: “Also when we have the ball we must be the team we are every week in the Premier League. It is not the best result to lose at home but we will go to Barcelona to try and win it. We still have the chance to try and do it.”
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