Nasri sure City can get the job done in Barca

Alam Khan - Reporter 16:07 11/03/2014
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Calling the shots: Samir Nasri is confident Manchester City can get the right result at Barcelona.

    Samir Nasri says Barcelona are only “human” as Manchester City look to forget their FA Cup heartbreak and focus on achieving a Champions League miracle.

    The Etihad outfit were left stunned on Sunday as Wigan upset them 2-1 in their quarter-final tie, ending their hopes of a perfect season with four trophies.

    But Nasri says City must regroup quickly and learn from that loss as they now bid to overturn a 2-0 deficit in their last-16 return leg in the Nou Camp on Wednesday night. 

    Barca are also hurting after a shock 1-0 La Liga defeat to struggling Real Valladolid and Nasri said: “I think anything is possible in football.

    “I saw them against Valladolid –it just shows they are human. They are a great team, but we are not going to have any problem to respect them because we know it is a great team. We have to do everything from the start.

    “Two goals down, we have nothing to lose. Just attack them from the start and try to score an early goal.”

    After manager Manuel Pellegrini criticised City for underestimating Wigan and being complacent for 55 minutes, Nasri is aware a strong start is crucial if they are to pull off an upset of their own.

    He felt the below-par showing against Wigan was a “hangover” from the joy of their 3-1 League Cup win over Sunderland a week ago.

    “It is like, the FA Cup, they gave it to us on a plate and we refused to take it,” added the French international, who scored City’s only goal of the game.

    “It was a bad performance. We did exactly the same as the League Cup final, we woke up after 65 minutes, except this time we were 2-0 down and we cannot always score three goals.

    “We fought, but it was too late. Thank God we play a big game on Wednesday. It is the best way to forget this game and be focused on the next one. A game like this you cannot not be focused from the start, and we have to take this game against Wigan as a lesson.”

    Nasri has been humbled by the brilliance of Barcelona before with Arsenal, but believes the Spaniards are not as good as they were when they last won the European title in 2011.

    That campaign saw the Gunners win the home leg of their last-16 tie 2-1, but lose the return 3-1 as Robin van Persie was harshly sent off.

    Lionel Messi scored twice that night, and Nasri recalls four more for the Argentine in a 4-1 Arsenal hammering at the Nou Camp in 2010.

    “It is not a good memory,” he added. “But at the time I thought they were better than they are today.

    “We played against Messi, who at the time was unplayable. It is going to be difficult, but I know if we play at our level we can do something.”

    Recommended