Why Manchester City Is the Biggest Issue Facing Barcelona After Deportivo Game

Barcelona have an important couple of months ahead and the Champions League tie against Manchester City looms largest.

The Citizens have become a "Barca-lite" to an extent. Ex-Blaugrana boardroom members, a training complex to rival La Masia and a style of football that harks back to Barca's finest traditions.

After a relatively easy passage at City's expense last season, it will be interesting to note how far both teams have come in a calendar year.

Certainly there are parallels to be drawn in terms of league form. Both teams sit second in their respective divisions, on the coat-tails of the teams above them.

Both have scored freely but have lost or drawn against sides they would normally be expected to brush aside easily.

Fairly equally matched in terms of personnel, there's not too much doubt that this will be the sternest of tests for both Manuel Pellegrini and Luis Enrique. The fallout from the vanquished, you would imagine, might be very much different, however.

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Según Daily Mirror, el chileno Manuel Pellegrini, podría ser el sustituto de Luis Enrique. pic.twitter.com/9LhuulauJk

— FutGoal (@FutGoal_) January 9, 2015"

There is a sense of long termism in Manchester that, win, lose or draw, Pellegrini's position at the helm is assured, unlike the turmoil that has beset Enrique and the Blaugrana recently.

The Chilean also has the luxury of being able once again to dip heavily into the bottomless pockets of the board in order to refresh his squad as necessary. That's a luxury currently denied to Enrique, leaving the club hamstrung in many respects.

Therefore, we arrive at this season's edition with a clash between the haves and have-nots. A make-do-and-mend Barca potentially partaking in a metaphorical "passing of the baton" if City's nouveau riche triumph over the two legs.

The position in which City find themselves presently, in terms of on and off-pitch matters, is perhaps where Barca's supporters would like the Blaugrana to be again.

Not at the expense of the "mes que un club" ethos and buying for the sake of it but settled and challenging for honours at the very least.

David Ramos/Getty Images

At the moment, there's not a week that goes by where we don't see a story surrounding unrest at first-team level. Even if the party line is that there's "nothing to see here," it's clear that there's no smoke without fire, and there will surely be a grain of truth in what is being said and written.

If Enrique can mastermind a win, then it not only enhances his own credibility further, but it will give the club a boost at arguably one of the most important points of the season.

By the time of the first leg in mid-February, Barca will know whether they have reached the Copa del Rey final and also whether they still retain an interest in La Liga. Potentially the Champions League could be the only realistic option of silverware.

Their whole season threatens to be defined by it and just how well they play over the two legs.

Spent force or tour de force?