Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 9y

Manuel Pellegrini defends tactics in Champions League loss to Barcelona

A defiant Manuel Pellegrini insisted he did not get his team selection and tactics wrong against Barcelona and argued Manchester City have the ability to overturn their 2-1 first-leg deficit by winning at the Nou Camp.

Pellegrini sprung a surprise by selecting two strikers and only two central midfielders, Fernando and James Milner, at the Etihad Stadium and Barcelona enjoyed 62 percent of possession and won through two first-half goals by Luis Suarez.

But while City manager Pellegrini said he was unhappy with his side's display before the break and the goals they conceded, he claimed he was right to omit Fernandinho and adopt such a bold system.

He said in a news conference: "I am very happy with the way we played [in the second half]. It was the way we must play against Barcelona. We demonstrated that in the second half with the same names. It was the way we must play from the first minute."

City have lost all three games against Barcelona under Pellegrini, but the Chilean feels they do have a chance to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time.

"I think we can do it," he added. "In the second half, we demonstrated we are not a lesser team than Barcelona. We have a chance."

Pellegrini believes Joe Hart's injury-time penalty save, denying Lionel Messi, could prove vital at the end of the tie, although he criticised Pablo Zabaleta for conceding the spot kick with a challenge on his fellow Argentine.

"It was a very important save," he said. "It was a very unnecessary penalty. Of course it gives us more chance to try and win in Barcelona. Three-one would have been a very difficult score to try to erase but I think we can have more chances [at 2-1]."

City had pulled a goal back through Sergio Aguero before Gael Clichy was sent off, collecting their third red card in as many games against Barcelona.

"We cannot have a player sent off every game against Barcelona because it gives them too much [of an] advantage," Pellegrini said. "It is very difficult to play against Barcelona with 10."

Pellegrini was critical of his side's defending for Suarez's brace and of their performance for the remainder of the opening 45 minutes.

"We committed a very soft error for the first goal," he said. "Until the first goal, it was a very normal game and after that we conceded an easy goal and played very bad until the first half finished."

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