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It may not have been a familiar seat for the managerial great, but Sir Alex Ferguson surely would have enjoyed the result as Barcelona beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad .
The former United boss was in the crowd last night as he continued his Champions League tour - last week he was at the Parc des Princes to see Chelsea draw with Paris Saint-Germain.
Luis Suarez scored twice in the opening 30 minutes as Barcelona took a firm hold of the tie, but City are still in it thanks to a Sergio Aguero goal and a late penalty blunder by Lionel Messi.
Show all 21 1 /21Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings MANCHESTER CITY: Joe Hart Dramatic injury-time penalty save from Lionel Messi kept his team in the tie. Though couldn’t get close to either of Luis Suarez’s goals. 7
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Pablo Zabaleta With the movement of Neymar and Suarez to defend against, the Argentine right-back was far from his usual attacking self down the wing. 4
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Vincent Kompany Clumsy header allowed Suarez to open the scoring. City’s captain will have be having nightmares about facing Messi again in three weeks’ time. 3
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Martin Demichelis Couldn’t near to Suarez for the Uruguayan’s second goal, and constantly struggled against the rapid attacking trio of Neymar, Messi and Suarez. 4
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Gael Clichy Will miss the second leg because of rather harsh dismissal after clashing with Alves. Made some key interceptions to get City on the attack. 6
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Fernando Wasteful in possession in the middle, and passing was wayward at times too. The Brazilian failed to get a foothold in the game. 3
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings James Milner Had a great opportunity with 25-yard free-kick in the first-half but decided to keep his effort low. Chased shadows for most of the match. 4
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Samir Nasri Failed to continue his fine recent run of form with a tame display against the Spanish giants. Eventually substituted off in the 62nd minute. 5
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings David Silva City’s playmaker grew in influence as the game wore on at the Etihad Stadium. The Spaniard’s outrageous touch assisted Sergio Aguero for the goal. 7
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Sergio Aguero Quiet in the first half but burst into life in the second. The Argentine forward terrorised Barca after the break and hard work yielded goal. 8
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Edin Dzeko Edin’s heading let him down on more than one occasion, but put in a shift closing down Barca’s defenders and running the channels. 6
Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings BARCELONA: Marc Andre ter Stegen The young German, who hasn’t made a league appearance this season, was rarely tested – but when he was he did not always look completely comfortable. 6
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Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Dani Alves The marauding full-back is not the dynamic attacking threat he once was, but he was still able to find acres of space in which to run. 7
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Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Javier Mascherano Confident when Barça were in possession but struggled with Aguero’s pace and Dzeko’s strength – not the towering centre-back he used to be. 6
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Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Jordi Alba A brilliant attacking force, the tiny Spaniard owned the left side and is a capable defender, too. A blatant dive marred his performance. 8
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Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Ivan Rakitic Had the run of the park in the first-half when City left themselves too exposed. But as the home side improved the Croatian struggled. 7
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Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Sergio Busquets Love him or loathe him, Busquets plays a crucial role in making this team tick. A willing worker, he never takes more touches than necessary. 8
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Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Andres Iniesta A masterclass in keeping possession and picking the right moments to attack. City gave Iniesta far too much respect and he made them pay. 8
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Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Lionel Messi Had been the best player on the pitch before pulling rank late on to deny Luis Suarez a hat-trick – but missed the penalty and the follow up. 8
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Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Luis Suarez Back in England with a bang, Suarez shows Liverpool just what he was missing with two predatory goals. The work-rate was there, too. 8
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Manchester City 1 Barcelona 2 player ratings Neymar Didn’t shine quite as brightly as the other two but had Pablo Zabaleta scurrying in fright for the first time this season with some wonderful skill. 8
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Former Manchester United players Ryan Giggs, currently Louis van Gaal's assistant, and Nicky Butt were in the crowd, sitting next to Liverpool pair Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana.
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