Zabaleta: City can achieve mission impossible

Manchester City’s players put on a brave face as they assessed the damage inflicted by Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League tie on Tuesday night.

City’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals appear in ruins after the Spanish champions claimed a controversial 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.

Most of the post-match attention centred on City manager Manuel Pellegrini’s reaction to the game’s pivotal moment — when Martin Demichelis conceded a penalty and was sent off — and the Chilean’s thoughts on Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson.