Champions League: Barcelona will be at full strength for when Manchester City travel to the Nou Camp for crucial group stage match
Pep Guardiola returns to the Nou Camp with his Manchester City side and will be facing all of the Spanish champions super stars as Lionel Messi warmed up with a hat-trick against Deportivo La Coruna
LUIS ENRIQUE will have his strongest starting 11 when Manchester City roll in to town on Wednesday evening.
The only doubt for the Barcelona boss is who will partner Gerard Pique in central defence for the Champions League clash.
Its a game that has a quarter or semi-final feel to it but this is the match that will decide who will effectively top the group and face an easier passage in the round of 16.
With City’s slip up dropping two points away to Celtic in a thrilling 3-3 draw they know that defeat will leave them five points behind Barca and even a victory in the return match will not be enough to have top spot in their own hands.
Pep Guardiola returns to the Nou Camp for the second time since leaving and the City manager will be desperate for a better result after being thrashed by his former side 3-0 with two goals from Lionel Messi.
Messi returned to the Barcelona side after coming back from injury with a hat-trick in their 4-0 cruising of Deportivio La Coruna.
The trio of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez are reunited to cause havoc and English teams have often been on the receiving end of the fearsome three all to often.
Last season the treble strike force tore Arsenal to shreds in the round of 16 5-1 on aggregate with Messi scoring three, Neymar and Suarez grabbing the other two.
But if any manger is going to be able to beat Barcelona than its going to be Guardiola the man that groomed and turned them in to arguably the best ever club side to have played.
Barca will line up much the same as they did against Deportivio in La Liga whilst City are likely to start Sergio Aguero making the talent on the pitch from both sides mouthwatering let alone that from just Barcelona.
City know they face a tough ask to try and out box the midfield with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic adding skill and steel which could prove an immense challenge to overcome.
Guardiola though will hope that the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva will have a few tricks up their sleeve to unlock the door for something special to happen.
Goals have not been hard to come by for City but as much as they are likely to score they are also prone to shipping goals and if Celtic can score three past a shaky City defence than imagine what Messi and co should be capable of.
If City are to beat Barcelona in their own back yard though it will a better achievement to beat them with a full strength side that has Messi in rather than one ravaged by injury.