Brilliant Barca only take one goal lead from first leg

Man City have seen too much of Lionel Messi in the past year

Barcelona produced a brilliant first-half display as they beat Manchester City 2-1 in the Champions League.

Luis Suarez scored both Barcelona's goals and, although Sergio Aguero reduced the deficit after the interval, City ended the match with ten men when Gael Clichy was sent off.

And it could have been even worse for Manuel Pellegrini's side, as Joe Hart saved Lionel Messi's stoppage-time penalty.

However, it means that last season's Premier League champions have it all to do at the Nou Camp next month in the second leg of the last-16 encounter.

Barcelona, who won the Champions League three times between 2006 and 2011 but have failed to reach the final in the last three seasons, enjoyed plenty of early possession.

However, it was City striker Edin Dzeko who had the first shot on goal in the seventh minute which was blocked by Gerard Pique.

In the 11th minute James Milner's low free-kick, after Javier Mascherano had brought Aguero down on the edge of the area, went straight into the wall, and when play moved to the other end of the pitch, Neymar sent Messi free but Martin Demichelis slid in to block the diminutive Argentinian's shot.

In the 13th minute Suarez could only find the side-netting with his shot but the Uruguay international broke the deadlock three minutes later when Messi's pass hit Vincent Kompany on the back, and the former Liverpool star was on hand to rifle home from close range.

City responded well to going behind though and five minutes later Clichy's hanging cross found Dzeko who did well to get in a header although he was unable to guide the ball towards goal.

Barcelona soon began to exert their superiority again and, in the 27th minute, Hart had to race off his line to claim the ball before Suarez could latch on to it.

Barcelona scored the second goal their dominance deserved on the half-hour mark when Messi beat four men before playing the ball to Jordi Alba whose low cross was turned in by Suarez.

For a few minutes it looked as though the scoreline could get embarrassing as Barcelona cut City apart at will, Neymar and Messi combining brilliantly, only for Hart to smother the ball.

The visitors almost grabbed a third goal in the 43rd minute when Dani Alves beat Hart only to then see his effort hit the top of the crossbar.

On the stroke of half time City created their first real chance of the match when David Silva fed Samir Nasri on the edge of the penalty area but the French midfielder's curled side-footed shot was parried by Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barcelona started the second period terribly and, when City won a corner, the ball found its way to Fernando who was unable to react quickly enough.

With City now on top, Nasri's shot was blocked by Mascherano before the unmarked Dzeko contrived to head straight at Ter Stegen from ten yards out.

Aguero then curled a shot past Ter Stegen and narrowly wide of the goal but City did halve the deficit in the 69th minute when Silva's back-heel set up Aguero who finished in style, clipping the ball over the Barcelona goalkeeper.

City sensed an equaliser but, just five minutes later, the wind was taken out of their sails when Clichy fouled Alves and was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Barcelona, who beat City 4-1 on aggregate at this stage of last season's Champions League, should have scored a third goal in stoppage time.

However, after Pablo Zabaleta had brought Messi down, Hart saved the Argentinian star's spot-kick and the 27-year-old then contrived to head the rebound wide of an open goal.