Can City stop Messi?

The CIty kit boss and former Latics star writes every week for Chron Sport

SO, after the disappointment of Sunday and getting knocked out of the FA Cup by Wigan at the Etihad, it’s straight on to the Nou Camp for City and the Champions League last 16 second leg tomorrow night.

Of course we will be huge underdogs because we’re already 2-0 down in the tie, but we can still pull this one around. Stranger things have happened.

There’s certainly sufficient quality in the City squad on any given day, so you never know. And if the players can’t get themselves back up for a game in that stadium, and against that team, then I don’t know what can.

It’s going to be terrific for City to pit their wits against people like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Neymar and players like that again. The whole Barcelona team is just full of world class players.

But our players shouldn’t let the occasion get to them, and I don’t think they will.

We’ve got nothing to lose, everybody is expecting City to go out of the competition now, so I hope the lads just go out there and play with freedom – and enjoy it!

The atmosphere is going to be amazing, and there’s a few thousand City fans going over so let’s hope the lads can do it for them.

It’s a mammoth task, but the quarter-finals aren’t out of reach just yet.