David Silva reveals Man City tactics for Barca clash

The playmaker is confident his side can get the better of the Catalans despite losing 4-0 at Camp Nou when the two sides met a fortnight ago

David Silva says Manchester City will try the same tactics against Barcelona despite losing their previous meeting 4-0.

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City welcome Barca to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, almost a fortnight after Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Luis Enrique’s men eventually ran out comfortable winners.

But Silva insists his side were playing well up until Claudio Bravo was sent off for handballing outside the box, and points out that Messi’s opening goal only came about thanks to an untimely slip by Fernandinho in the penalty area.

And he believes that deploying the same tactics - pressing the Catalans and trying to dominate possession - is the right way to go.

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“We knew that it would be difficult at Camp Nou,” he said. “I believe that we were playing well until the red card. Even the first goal was a slip. We were playing well, but in the game if you slip and then get a red card, that makes its mark. I believe that until that moment we were playing well.

“We are going to try what we did well in Barcelona up until the red card. At home we have to do the same.”

Silva also says the City squad were “more united than ever” during their six-match winless run.

City beat West Brom 4-0 on Saturday to put an end to their most barren streak in eight years, and the worst period of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career.

Guardiola has employed a new playing style at the Etihad since taking charge this summer and has dispensed with some popular City players in doing so.

But Silva says nobody had begun to wonder whether they were right to follow the Catalan’s orders when results were not going their way.

“It was time to end that run,” he added. “I believe that we have had bad luck in some games, we have missed some chances, and also missing two penalties in one game [against Everton]. That’s football. Now we have ended the run and we are happy.

“I think the dressing room has been fine, it’s been more united than ever. We are doing things well but they weren’t turning out as we wanted. In key moments we have made mistakes and it’s not that we were doing badly, it’s just that we have made mistakes, and in the big games those details are decisive. We have to learn from that.

“As well as the individual errors at the back, we missed two penalties, that’s decisive, too. We’ve also not been able to find the last pass and that’s also been important. I believe that across the season things like that are going to happen. As soon as you can put an end to those [bad runs], the better."