Barcelona may have slipped from the summit of European football but this tie proved that Manchester City are still stranded half-way down the mountain. The Catalan giants arrived in Manchester on the back of a shock defeat to Malaga on Saturday that left them four points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. And they were besieged by controversy about Lionel Messi’s visit to a casino in the early hours of Monday morning with team-mate Gerard Pique. Luis Suarez fired home from a tight angle after outwitting Vincent Kompany to put Barcelona ahead . Suarez (left) finishes off a lovely move from a tight angle to give City a mountain to climb . The City defence can only look back in anger after Suarez hit his second of the game to stun the hosts . But City soothed all their visitors' uncertainties away with a performance that was timid, insipid and ineffective. City were, quite simply, the dream opponents, supine and dull. Barcelona strolled through the first half as if it were a practice match. It felt as if they could not quite believe their luck. This is the kind of result and performance that could act as a catalyst for Barcelona as they try to reclaim their crown, at home and abroad. For a side that frets about its Messidependencia, this was a performance that suggested Barcelona are more than a one-man team. The old Holy Trinity of Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta is no more. Xavi was on the bench and there are doubts about the longevity of Iniesta. But even though Messi was sublime, there were signs a new Holy Trinity is emerging. Sergio Aguero, City's saviour in the group stages, gave his side a glimmer of home with this sublime effort . The Argentine striker was his bustling, energetic best giving Marc-Andre ter Stegen little chance . Aguero breathed life into the tie with his 69th minute strike pegging back an irresistible Barcelona . So far, Luis Suarez has been content to play a supporting role to Messi and feed the Argentine’s goalscoring genius. Those close to the team say Suarez has made a conscious decision to sacrifice individual glory in the pursuit of the trophies that have largely eluded him. Suarez knows that making sure Messi is functioning at his peak represents the team's best chance of being successful and he has resolved to do everything he can to assist him. It is one of the reasons why Suarez and Messi, who does not like to share the scoring spoils, get on so well. But on his first return to England since his £75million move from Liverpool in the summer, Suarez showed the match-winning talent that was his trademark during his time on Merseyside. Hart saves Lionel Messi's spot kick to hand City a Champions League lifeline . Time stands still as Messi throws himself at the rebound, but his diving header goes wide of the post . Manuel Pellegrini’s 4-4-2 system played into Barcelona’s hands by leaving City hopelessly outnumbered in central midfield where Barcelona literally ran rings around them. That was Barcelona’s foundation but it was Suarez, Messi and Neymar who ripped City’s defence to shreds. Barca’s front three were a joy to watch. Messi, listless and ineffective against Malaga, was back to his dazzling, dribbling, mesmerising best. He played the provider. It was his curling cross that flummoxed Vincent Kompany after 16 minutes and allowed Suarez to rifle in the rebound. And it was his beautiful run across the face of City’s box and his lay-off to Jordi Alba that allowed Alba to curl a cross into the path of Suarez that the Uruguayan touched home. The maddening thing for City and their fans was that this was an opportunity missed. Gael Clichy's reckless tackle on Dani Alves was rewarded with a second yellow of the night and an early bath . Hart and Lionel Messi share a light-hearted moment during a tense Champions League encounter . Barcelona are still a fine, fine side, of course. The fact that they had won 11 straight games before that defeat to Malaga tells you that. But they are vulnerable, too. Or they would have been if City had offered any type of threat. There was a reason why Messi’s casino visit caused a furore. There was a reason why the issue poisoned Barcelona coach Luis Enrique’s press conference here on Monday night. A few seasons ago, when Barcelona were sweeping all before them, the casino visit would have been ignored. But things are different now. Barcelona are different. Their dominance has gone and so has the confidence of their fans. They find more reasons to fret. Suarez's two-goal salvo silenced the Etihad and left City's Champions League hopes hanging by a thread . Kompany was at fault for the first and the City captain trudges ruefully to the half-way line . David Silva, Edin Dzeko and James Milner cut dejected figures after Suarez's second of the night . So after the defeat to Malaga on Saturday afternoon, the casino visit felt like a symbol of a team whose focus has slipped. And the Barcelona team that walked out on to the pitch at the Etihad was a team that has lost its assumptions of superiority. It is a team in transition. Some say it is at the beginning of a new cycle. Some argue it has not yet ended the old one. Against that backdrop, it turned out that a visit to the Etihad was exactly what Barcelona needed. It was the perfect tonic. By midway through the second half, most City fans were resigned to their team’s fate. Neymar was a nuisance and is pictured giving Pablo Zabaleta a run for his money . Messi was also outstanding and is manhandled by Fernando with Kompany and David Silva looking on . They gasped in awe when Messi took down a high ball that was falling over his shoulder and killed it stone dead. City forced their way back into the game with a goal from Sergio Aguero 20 minutes from time but that was largely because Barcelona had taken their foot off the pedal. When they pressed back down on it, City were chasing shadows again and would have gone further behind if Messi had converted either his injury time penalty or the rebound that he headed wide. It felt like we were turning back time to when Barcelona were revered as the kings of beautiful football, the epitome of everything that is good in the game. It was a time to sit back and marvel.
Manuel Pellegrini named an attacking line-up and his selection was punished .
His 4-4-2 system played into Barcelona's hands by leaving City hopelessly outnumbered in central midfield .
Luis Suarez struck twice in the first half hour to give Barcelona control .
Sergio Aguero hit back in the 69th minute to give City a Champions League lifeline .
Gael Clichy was sent off for a rash challenge on Dani Alves .
Joe Hart saved Lionel Messi's last-gasp penalty and the Argentine missed the rebound with a diving header .
Barcelona may have slipped from the summit of European football but this tie proved that Manchester City are still stranded half-way down the mountain. The Catalan giants arrived in Manchester on the back of a shock defeat to Malaga on Saturday that left them four points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. And they were besieged by controversy about Lionel Messi’s visit to a casino in the early hours of Monday morning with team-mate Gerard Pique. Luis Suarez fired home from a tight angle after outwitting Vincent Kompany to put Barcelona ahead . Suarez (left) finishes off a lovely move from a tight angle to give City a mountain to climb . The City defence can only look back in anger after Suarez hit his second of the game to stun the hosts . But City soothed all their visitors' uncertainties away with a performance that was timid, insipid and ineffective. City were, quite simply, the dream opponents, supine and dull. Barcelona strolled through the first half as if it were a practice match. It felt as if they could not quite believe their luck. This is the kind of result and performance that could act as a catalyst for Barcelona as they try to reclaim their crown, at home and abroad. For a side that frets about its Messidependencia, this was a performance that suggested Barcelona are more than a one-man team. The old Holy Trinity of Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta is no more. Xavi was on the bench and there are doubts about the longevity of Iniesta. But even though Messi was sublime, there were signs a new Holy Trinity is emerging. Sergio Aguero, City's saviour in the group stages, gave his side a glimmer of home with this sublime effort . The Argentine striker was his bustling, energetic best giving Marc-Andre ter Stegen little chance . Aguero breathed life into the tie with his 69th minute strike pegging back an irresistible Barcelona . So far, Luis Suarez has been content to play a supporting role to Messi and feed the Argentine’s goalscoring genius. Those close to the team say Suarez has made a conscious decision to sacrifice individual glory in the pursuit of the trophies that have largely eluded him. Suarez knows that making sure Messi is functioning at his peak represents the team's best chance of being successful and he has resolved to do everything he can to assist him. It is one of the reasons why Suarez and Messi, who does not like to share the scoring spoils, get on so well. But on his first return to England since his £75million move from Liverpool in the summer, Suarez showed the match-winning talent that was his trademark during his time on Merseyside. Hart saves Lionel Messi's spot kick to hand City a Champions League lifeline . Time stands still as Messi throws himself at the rebound, but his diving header goes wide of the post . Manuel Pellegrini’s 4-4-2 system played into Barcelona’s hands by leaving City hopelessly outnumbered in central midfield where Barcelona literally ran rings around them. That was Barcelona’s foundation but it was Suarez, Messi and Neymar who ripped City’s defence to shreds. Barca’s front three were a joy to watch. Messi, listless and ineffective against Malaga, was back to his dazzling, dribbling, mesmerising best. He played the provider. It was his curling cross that flummoxed Vincent Kompany after 16 minutes and allowed Suarez to rifle in the rebound. And it was his beautiful run across the face of City’s box and his lay-off to Jordi Alba that allowed Alba to curl a cross into the path of Suarez that the Uruguayan touched home. The maddening thing for City and their fans was that this was an opportunity missed. Gael Clichy's reckless tackle on Dani Alves was rewarded with a second yellow of the night and an early bath . Hart and Lionel Messi share a light-hearted moment during a tense Champions League encounter . Barcelona are still a fine, fine side, of course. The fact that they had won 11 straight games before that defeat to Malaga tells you that. But they are vulnerable, too. Or they would have been if City had offered any type of threat. There was a reason why Messi’s casino visit caused a furore. There was a reason why the issue poisoned Barcelona coach Luis Enrique’s press conference here on Monday night. A few seasons ago, when Barcelona were sweeping all before them, the casino visit would have been ignored. But things are different now. Barcelona are different. Their dominance has gone and so has the confidence of their fans. They find more reasons to fret. Suarez's two-goal salvo silenced the Etihad and left City's Champions League hopes hanging by a thread . Kompany was at fault for the first and the City captain trudges ruefully to the half-way line . David Silva, Edin Dzeko and James Milner cut dejected figures after Suarez's second of the night . So after the defeat to Malaga on Saturday afternoon, the casino visit felt like a symbol of a team whose focus has slipped. And the Barcelona team that walked out on to the pitch at the Etihad was a team that has lost its assumptions of superiority. It is a team in transition. Some say it is at the beginning of a new cycle. Some argue it has not yet ended the old one. Against that backdrop, it turned out that a visit to the Etihad was exactly what Barcelona needed. It was the perfect tonic. By midway through the second half, most City fans were resigned to their team’s fate. Neymar was a nuisance and is pictured giving Pablo Zabaleta a run for his money . Messi was also outstanding and is manhandled by Fernando with Kompany and David Silva looking on . They gasped in awe when Messi took down a high ball that was falling over his shoulder and killed it stone dead. City forced their way back into the game with a goal from Sergio Aguero 20 minutes from time but that was largely because Barcelona had taken their foot off the pedal. When they pressed back down on it, City were chasing shadows again and would have gone further behind if Messi had converted either his injury time penalty or the rebound that he headed wide. It felt like we were turning back time to when Barcelona were revered as the kings of beautiful football, the epitome of everything that is good in the game. It was a time to sit back and marvel.
tight angle to give City a mountain to climb . Barcelona strolled through the first half as if emerging. Sergio Aguero, City's saviour in the breathed life into the tie with his 69th minute Messi's spot kick to hand City a Champions League himself at the rebound, but his diving header system played into Barcelona’s hands by leaving City hopelessly outnumbered in central midfield that this was an opportunity missed. Gael Clichy's reckless tackle on Dani Alves was back and marvel.