I think we will be fine. City is no more powerful than Madrid and we beat Madrid pretty convincingly given the fact that we had the chance to make 3-0 in the end of the match. We looked sharp in the clasico and that means the team fights hard to win again in big matches. We have now what we missed last season and that is the right attitude to win.
Xavi and Iniesta have both stepped up a gear in recent matches and at moments we press really intense, like we used to. We play a lot better than last year IMO. Pedro is sharp, Alexis is a star at the moment, Nemar looks good too and Messi is Messi. Busi plays as good as he's ever played for us, Iniesta is gradually comming back to form, Dani Alves is on his way up since last season and Pique is starting to show this season why he was once called one of the best centre-backs in the world.
We're looking good physically too. Players seem to enjoy football at the moment, I'm looking confident to every game. I think we are the best team in the league, slightly ahead of Madrid and Atletico and we should expect the City tie with maximum confidence, because we are still the team everyone wants to beat. They're great, we are better, we'll see what happens.
Very well said my friend, I think everything you said is right on.
City is no doubt a very worthy adversary right now. They are a great team. But when THIS team (Barca) plays at its very best, it is nearly unstoppable. We have a team of living legends playing right now. If Messi, Neymar, Alexis, Xavi, Iniesta/Fabregas, Busquets, and the defense comes out in top form, everyone playing at their sharpest, that is a VERY strong force to defeat. Especially if we play our tiki taka and possession game as good as we are capable of playing it... as good as we played it in the Pep era. If they don't have the ball, they can't use their great offense to score against us. Our flawless possession game and attacking play was always our best defense... (and having a 100% Puyol, 100% Pique and awesome Abidal helped a lot as well lol) if we bring our possession, our tiki taka and our creative, decisive attacking play near its 100% potential, we have a very good chance of winning this.
The one thing that does concern me is that their attack really is quite good, and has a lot of firepower and creativity to it. They are also a danger in the air as well, being physically bigger. But I am confident that if we play Barcelona football.... keep the ball away from the opponent all while fiercely, gracefully attacking, then we have every chance of getting the ball into the back of the net as they do. And if Messi is back and anything close to this 100% or even 90% best... well, we all know what THAT is like. And now Neymar is flourishing and will be alongside him up front attacking the goal as well.
This will truly be a beautiful game. I couldn't be happier with the draw. Going to be such an intense round of 16 in my opinion... has the makings to be some great football.