manchester city had long since been knocked out of the champions league by the time the decision was taken to sack roberto mancini in the spring of 2013 european football was not the italian’s speciality however, as manuel pellegrini looks for a result to save his team’s season, other similarities between the reign of city’s current coach and the final, faltering weeks of his predecessor’s are strikingly relevant certainly the two men are different pellegrini is placid, mancini explosive pellegrini is considered by some at city to be rather too nice while mancini made enemies at every level but, although pellegrini may beg to differ, the warnings for the chilean are to be found using football’s most fundamental barometer: results manuel pellegrini is fighting to save his manchester city job and needs a good result in barcelona  manchester city are looking to overturn a 2 1 first leg deficit in the nou camp  mancini’s final year at city saw a barclays premier league title win, a summer of faltering efforts in the transfer market and a subsequent championship defence in which his team’s levels dropped to the extent that they ended the 2012 13 season some way short of a rival — manchester united — who did not have to be imperious to beat them into second sound familiar? two years on and again city have failed to build on success they have bought modestly, played well only sporadically and look destined to trail another less than convincing rival — this time it’s chelsea — by some distance by the time they reach the finishing post did united win the title two years ago or did city simply fail to defend it properly? perhaps a bit of both can we say the same again this time round? almost certainly talk to people at city and they will stress that mancini was not sacked because he failed to win a second league title he was dismissed because city had failed to move forwards in europe and because his style of management was, they feared, about to rip holes in the fabric of the club nevertheless, the similarities between what should have been mancini’s consolidation season and this one are clear and that is why pellegrini has every reason to feel anxious ahead of a mammoth task at the nou camp on tuesday at city’s hotel by the port, pellegrini was in denial mode once again ‘i don’t think my seat is in danger,’ he said manchester city's premier league title challenge suffered a further blow with defeat at burnley  pellegrini finds himself in a similar position to roberto mancini before the italian was sacked  mancini left city after a failed premier league title defence and another dismal season in europe  nevertheless, in the first leg of this tie at the etihad stadium three weeks ago we saw far too much of what is wrong with the modern city and not enough of what is right haphazard at the back, weak in midfield and mentally suspect by their own admission, pellegrini’s team were overrun for 45 minutes only their own spirit, the excellence of sergio aguero and a rare moment of fallibility from lionel messi at the death kept city in touch as such, if they are to overcome a 2 1 deficit they simply must show us something we have not yet seen from them at this level, under either manager those who point to wins at home against bayern munich and away at roma as evidence that city are learning are clutching desperately at straws video pellegrini doesn't fear for city job  yaya toure and pellegrini speak from their hotel in barcelona on the eve of the second leg  toure knows his team must improve if they are to stand any chance of progressing to the quarter finals  joe hart's penalty save from lionel messi at the end of the first leg has given city a glimmer of hope  city were on the ropes for much of both games certainly they controlled neither and were aided by some good fortune on wednesday it must be different, something the returning yaya toure seemed to agree with when he spoke on tuesday ‘last year everybody said we were a top team in europe,’ said the ivorian ‘now we have lost a couple of games and everybody says we are the worst we can deal with that the players know what they have to do’ during their own media gathering earlier in the day, barcelona coach luis enrique and midfielder andres iniesta spoke diplomatically city remain a feared opponent, was the message the truth, however, is that city have not remotely troubled the catalan club in successive champions league meetings, and given that barcelona have won 16 of their last 17 games and are yet to be shut out in europe this season, the size of the english club’s task is clear barcelona train at their joan gamper base on the eve of the second leg against manchester city  luis suarez scored both barcelona goals in the first leg at the etihad stadium  there was one item of good news for city on tuesday when enrique confirmed that his central midfield totem, sergio busquets, will not play the great spaniard is injured and that may offer the likes of toure and david silva some hope as they look to attack barcelona’s back four nevertheless, pellegrini must hope for a considerable improvement city simply must find it from somewhere there is absolutely no desire at city to sack pellegrini what would that say about the judgment of those who hired him? like every manager, however, he will live or die by his results currently his win ratio at city is 62 per cent mancini’s was 59 per cent this is game number 99 of pellegrini’s reign by the time he reaches his century at home to west bromwich on saturday, he will hope to have something significant to reflect upon
last 16 yaya toure barcelona the etihad stadium second nou camp catalan city burnley manuel pellegrini manchester city
manchester city face barcelona at nou camp in second leg of last 16 tie  catalan giants hold 2 1 lead after victory at the etihad stadium  manuel pellegrini needs a result to save city's season  yaya toure knows team must improve after 1 0 defeat by burnley  click here for barcelona vs man city team news 